Jan 31, 2011

Heart surgeries scar three-year-old with congenital defect

Spencer Gillespie has already had three major heart surgeries at the age of three, including one that left him with a permanent scar stretching from his neck to his bellybutton, the Bluefield Daily Telegraph reports.

He was born with a condition known as hypoplastic left heart syndrome, in which the left side of his heart is underdeveloped. Although the defect is not correctable, his parents opted for a series of procedures that may be able to extend his life and increase his options in the future.

"He had the first one when he was one day old, the second when he was four months old and the third last September," said the boy's mother, Leslie Gillespie, quoted by the news source.

The condition triggered a stroke in May 2009, and Spencer is currently undergoing physical, occupational and speech therapy to regain some of the motor skills he lost.

The American Heart Association reports that hypoplastic left heart syndrome is rare in children and that the cause is unknown. Kids with the condition may be required to limit physical activity, particularly competitive sports that may overtax the heart.

Those who have sustained medical scars may be able to reduce the appearance of these marks through the use of silicone gel sheeting. 

 

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