G-Armor is handcrafted and has significant expansion capacity and minimal contraction
“I am proud to have led the development of the firstover a decade of a custom FDA-approved stent for congenital heart disease,” says Morgan, who is also an assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “This new stent, combined with our imaging technologies, eliminates significant surgical uncertainties and is expected to lead to improved outcomes for patients of all ages.”
The first patient was Randy Welch, whoas a child they told him that the small hole in his heart would close. But as a new father working at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland, Welch learned that the hole had widened significantly and was causing his heart to race, which could eventually lead to heart failure.
Returning to Colorado and applying forcardiac care, Welch was quickly referred to Joseph Kay, MD, director of the Colorado/UCHealth adult program for pediatric congenital heart disease. This unique Anschutz Medical Campus program specializes in treating adults like Welch who were born with congenital heart defects.
Dr. Gareth Morgan with a stent he designed for congenital heart disease. Photo: Colorado Children's Hospital
Welch had two options:either open-heart surgery or implantation of this new stent at a pediatric cardiac catheterization lab in Colorado. With his second child due soon, Welch wanted the procedure to be the least risky and with the fastest recovery time. Working with his colleague Jenny Zabla, MD, who leads the Innovative Interventional Imaging Group, Dr. Morgan created a 3D model of Welch's heart and determined that Welch was a good candidate for a new stent.
Kay and Morgan believed that the procedure andWelch's recovery will be best managed by the cardiology team at the Colorado Children's Center to take advantage of the hospital's advanced imaging technology, virtual reality planning, and the extensive experience of the entire catheterization lab team.
“Working in the medical field, I realized that II need to restore the heart, but I kept putting off this decision. The thought of open-heart surgery, given that I have two babies in my arms, was not very attractive, Welch said. “But Dr. Morgan and Dr. Kay explained that without treatment, I could have heart failure or a stroke. The new stent was perfect for me.”
Six months after the operation, Randy is doing well, as is his heart.
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