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A Work of Heart 
Surgeon uses Blue Egg technology to “sculpt” heart back to shape
Larry Lavery was shocked when his cardiologist told him he needed surgery. While Lavery was taking a number of medications for his heart, and he didn’t have the energy he once did, he never imagined his congestive heart failure (CHF) was getting worse.
Twelve years ago, Lavery suffered a heart attack that left lasting damage and scar tissue. A recent echocardiogram, followed by an angiogram, alerted Nazzal Obaid, M.D., Cardiology, that Lavery’s heart function was compromised, and he suggested Lavery contact Neil J. Thomas, M.D., Methodist Hospitals Regional Medical Director of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, who explained that CHF is common after major heart attacks. When the heart is weakened to the point that Lavery was affected, there is a death rate of about 10 percent every year after diagnosis. About 50 percent of patients die within five years after diagnosis. If his condition worsened, Thomas explained, Lavery would have a 50 percent chance of dying within one year. Dr. Thomas provided some hope; Lavery was an excellent candidate for left ventricle reconstruction (LVR) surgery.
Dr. Thomas is making huge strides in treating patients like Lavery. Patients with heart failure often have “ischemic” cardiomyopathy – commonly known as an enlarged heart. An enlarged heart does not pump efficiently and blood can back up into the lungs and veins causing fluid to leak into the body. Among other problems, this causes shortness of breath, weakness and fatigue. If not treated properly, these problems escalate and the heart becomes progressively weaker. With LVR, Dr. Thomas believed Lavery’s left ventricle could be returned to a more normal size thereby reversing some of the effects of CHF.
During the procedure, Dr. Thomas made a small incision into the main pumping chamber of Lavery’s heart and inserted a silicone device called the Blue Egg™. Like an artist, Dr. Thomas sculpted the ventricle back to its normal shape and size using the Egg as a mold.
Dr. Thomas removed the “squashable” Egg through the same small incision, placed a synthetic material patch over the hole, and closed the tissue over the patch.
 Just a month after his surgery, Lavery is feeling great and tests showed more than 50 percent improvement in heart function. “I feel wonderful, and I’m excited about how much strength I have now,” said Lavery. “Heart failure just kind of creeps up on you, so I didn’t realize how bad I felt before the surgery, plus, I’ll be able to reduce the number of pills I take,” he said.
“The treatment of CHF is just one of the many exciting things we’re doing here at Methodist,” said Dr. Thomas. “Through our partnership with the American Heart Association, we’re involved in community outreach and education to help prevent heart disease in the first place.”
With the Exclusive Presenting Hospital Sponsorship, Methodist’s commitment to the mission of the American Heart Association is evident. The hospital’s dedication to providing high level cardiac care in Northwest Indiana is made possible by world-class cardiovascular physicians, an in-house perfusion department, and the recruitment of a group of highly trained cardiac anesthesia specialists. Some cases once considered too high-risk to be handled locally, can be effectively diagnosed and treated here at Methodist.
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