CARDIAC SURGERY
DIANE’S STORY
Diane Ball spent her whole life knowing she was born with a hereditary congenital heart defect — her aortic valve has only two cusps instead of the usual three. Her father passed away from the same condition at just 48 years old. But with two grown children and three beloved grandkids, Diane was determined to live an active life filled with family well into her golden years. In April 2016, Diane was enjoying a Hawaiian cruise when she suffered a mild stroke. But against the advice of onboard doctors, she stayed on for the rest of the voyage. Her decision to stay was part of her philosophy of living life to the fullest. She felt ok, and didn’t want to cut short her holiday. Upon Diane’s return to Victoria, an echocardiogram revealed her heart function had significantly declined. Oncesimple activities, like walking to get the mail or going to the pool for a swim, had become challenging. Diane’s aortic valve needed to be replaced, which required open-heart surgery at Royal Jubilee Hospital. Dr. Lynn Fedoruk performed the surgery.
“Dr. Fedoruk and her team gave me my life back,” said Diane. “I’m 66 years old. Without this surgery, I would not have lived for more than another year. The care I received was absolutely amazing, and my family and I are immensely grateful for the life-changing care I received. When Dr. Fedoruk fixed my heart valve, she liberated me.”
Today, Diane is back to doing everything she loves and couldn’t be happier, thanks to the skilled and dedicated cardiac teams who do everything in their power to return people to wellness. Dr. Fedoruk explains how advances in equipment are not, on their own, solely responsible for improved care, but are part of a bigger picture where everything from new equipment, improved imaging technology, and better post-op care all contribute to higher survival rates. “When patient outcomes are improved by just 2% or 3%, the impact is massive. It may not seem so at first glance, but if you consider that we may operate on 700 cases a year, that means that up to 21 more lives will be saved. Every single life is precious and if we can save even one more person, it’s a profound achievement. Even in routine cases, we must treat the ordinary as extraordinary.”