Guinness World Record: Open heart surgery patient survives longer than any other

Jim is the longest-surviving male open-heart surgery patient. (Source: guinnessworldrecords.com)

Just two months after the surgery, Jim was back in school. Apart from a few restrictions, he has led an everyday life like any other person. “After that, I don’t remember any restrictions except to ‘take it easy’ and I was not allowed to play Little League baseball until the next year,” Jim told the records site.

Today, Jim has no limitations and does his best to stay active. “I keep my weight down and get lots of exercises, mostly walking and hiking but biking and swimming also,” Jim added.

Jim has led a normal life like any other person. (Source: guinnessworldrecords.com)

As per Jim, his record-breaking accomplishment wasn’t just surprising to him and his family, but also to his primary care physician and cardiologist.

What is a constricted pulmonary heart valve?

“We have four valves in the heart: mitral, tricuspid, pulmonary and aortic. If the pulmonary valve (the valve which lies between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery, which delivers blood to the lungs) is narrow or constricted, it is known as a constricted pulmonary heart valve,” said Dr Subhendu Mohanty, Cardiologist, Sharda Hospital, Greater Noida.

Symptoms

As per Dr Mohanty, if a patient suffers from a pulmonary heart valve, he/she will show the following symptoms:

* Difficulty in breathing, especially during walking/running
* Fatigue
* Tiredness
* Chest pain (in certain cases)

The expert added that it is imperative to treat a constricted pulmonary heart valve because if not treated in time, the patient can develop heart failure, which ultimately can lead to death.

Treatment

According to Dr Mohanty, the treatment of a constricted pulmonary heart valve is specific to the cause of the illness. “If the nature of it is congenital (a defect that occurs due to abnormal development of the fetal heart during the first eight weeks of pregnancy), then ballooning (balloon dilation) can be used in which a catheter (small flexible tube) is inserted into a blood vessel in the groin. A balloon is attached to the tip of the catheter. When the catheter is placed in the constricted valve, the balloon is inflated to stretch the open area,” he said.

However, if there is a hole in the heart then surgery becomes the only way out, the expert mentioned.

Life after an open heart surgery

The restrictions imposed on a patient after he/she undergoes surgery depend on the nature of the primary illness and the surgery performed. “If a procedure as simple as ballooning has been performed for a constricted heart valve, then the patient can be up and running in about a month. He/she can even venture out on adventure treks,” said Dr Mohanty.

“But if an open heart surgery has been performed for someone with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (a critical congenital disorder in which the left side of the heart does not develop properly), then the patient will never be able to lead a normal life,” Dr Mohanty concluded.

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