Dec 28, 2010

Cardiac operation leaves young woman with permanent chest scar

Following a risky operation that was performed when Jeni Busta was just a baby, the 25-year-old has been left with a scar stretching from her neck to her bellybutton, NPR.org reports.

Busta was born with a rare congenital defect known as hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), in which the left side of the heart does not develop properly. Her mother was given three options, of which an operation called the Norwood procedure seemed most promising. However, it was also the riskiest, as only one in 10 newborns survived the surgery at the time of Busta's birth.

The young woman became one of the first survivors of the procedure, though she frequently experiences fatigue and shortness of breath. Despite not being able to go to college, get a job or become pregnant, Busta maintains a positive attitude.

"To be able to live with something so life-changing and difficult and to be able to do it with such grace and poise - that takes real strength," said her husband, Nick, quoted by the source.

HLHS occurs in approximately four out of every 10,000 births, according to Children's Hospital Boston.

Patients who acquire significant scarring from surgical repair may benefit from the use of silicone gel sheeting to reduce the appearance of these marks. 

 

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