Erin Greaves woke to the sound of her son’s gasp and the dogs barking. The pediatric nurse raced to 12-year-old Sean’s room and immediately began performing CPR. When paramedics arrived, Sean was experiencing ventricular fibrillation, a serious heart rhythm problem that is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death. He was defibrillated twice before being taken to a nearby hospital, and subsequently transported to CHOC.
As a patient in CHOC’s pediatric intensive care unit, Sean underwent a series of tests, including a cardiac MRI, cardiac catheterization, exercise tests and genetic testing. Results revealed no structural damage to his heart and no underlying condition. Sean’s ventricular fibrillation was ruled idiopathic, which means no known cause.
Sean’s cardiologist, Dr. Anthony McCanta, has specialized expertise in the treatment of irregular heart rhythms and presented a unique option to Sean and Erin. Physicians primarily use implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) to treat the most serious heart rhythm problems. The device constantly tracks the patient’s heart rhythm and delivers an electric shock to the heart when it beats abnormally fast. Traditional defibrillators require electrical conductor wires, or leads, to be inserted into the heart through a vein in the upper chest.
Sean and his mom chose a newer treatment option called the Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (S-ICD). The 12-year-old became the first CHOC patient to receive the device.
“The S-ICD is not as invasive as other ICDs since the sensing and defibrillating electrode is implanted directly under the skin of the chest wall and it is connected to a generator in the axilla, or lower armpit area. No component of the device is inside the veins, heart, or even the inner chest itself. Consequently, there are fewer future complications of leads in the vein and heart, and a much faster recovery time — tangible benefits for young active children,” explains Dr. McCanta.
Just one week after Sean’s frightening ordeal, he was back at home in excellent condition.
“Even though I am a pediatric nurse, I am a mom first. I have tremendous gratitude for Dr. McCanta and the CHOC team who took such excellent care of Sean. He is back at home, playing with the dogs and his friends, and looking forward to starting middle school in the fall,” says Erin.
