“A red-headed tornado.” That’s how 4-year-old Olivia Rudesheim’s parents, Fred and Stephanie, describe her. They were used to their sweet, smart little girl moving constantly, so when Olivia was tired and complaining of leg pain, Stephanie knew it was time to see the doctor.
“We found out she had the hole in her heart and at that point, it just felt like it went a million miles an hour,” said Stephanie.
Olivia’s official diagnosis was an atrial septal defect, a hole between the top chambers of the heart. Typically, atrial septal defects are closed by making an incision in the front of the chest and opening the breastbone. Another option was to close it in the catheterization lab.
The Rudesheims thought long and hard about the right approach for mending their daughter’s heart, with guidance from Dr. Brian Kogon, chief of congenital heart surgery at CHoR and congenital heart surgeon at UVA Health Children’s. The collaboration between CHoR and UVA Health Children’s ensures all children in Virginia have access to exceptional congenital heart surgery within a short drive from home.
“We wanted to explore options and Dr. Kogon was amazing in talking to us about the risks associated with them,” added Fred.
Reluctant to leave a scar in the middle of Olivia’s chest, Stephanie and Fred settled on a minimally invasive approach to surgery. Dr. Kogon was able to make a small incision under her right arm to access her heart and close the hole. The Rudesheims traveled from their home in Northern Virginia for Olivia’s surgery at the Children’s Tower in April, with a brief stay in the PICU afterward (where she scored her favorite dinosaur pillowcase!).
She returned home and was back to her old self in no time. As family and friends texted to check on Olivia’s recovery, her parents’ biggest concern was what she was trying to climb on or jump off!
“Olivia’s prognosis is great. The hole is closed. The heart looks and acts like a completely normal heart and she should have a normal, active, full life,” said Dr. Kogon.
Today, that means playing outside and going to preschool. For tomorrow, the possibilities are endless.
“Anything with your child is scary and for us to be able to feel at ease for a heart procedure was a big deal,” said Stephanie. “Dr. Kogon just went above and beyond…and he was so kind. His bedside manner is amazing. We were blown away.”
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