A first in Israel: advanced pacemaker implanted through the neck in 18-year-old from Gaza
Shahad, an 18-year-old from Gaza, was born with a hole in her heart and an abnormal configuration of blood vessels connecting to her heart from the left side of her chest, but without the major vein from her lower body connecting to her heart.
Dr Michael Geist, Dr Alona Sternfeld, Shahad’s mother and Shahad
When she was 16, Shahad’s doctor in Gaza referred her for treatment at Save a Child’s Heart in Israel.
Shahad arrived at the Save a Child’s Heart free weekly clinic for Palestinian Children at the Sylvan Adams Children’s Hospital and the Ida Cabakoff International Pediatric Cardiac Centre for Save a Child’s Heart at Wolfson and since then, the pediatric cardiology team headed by Dr. Alona Raucher Sternfeld, along with the Electrophysiology and Pacemaker Unit, has treated her and monitored her condition.
Save a Child’s Heart is an Israeli humanitarian organization working internationally to save the lives of children from countries where access to pediatric cardiac care is limited or nonexistent,
regardless of race, religion, gender, nationality, or financial status
Dr Michael Geist, Director of the Electrophysiology and Pacemakers Unit: “Shahad was born without a major vein connecting her lower body to her heart. This condition is called interrupted inferior vena cava, and it prevents direct blood supply from the lower body to the upper right side. In this situation, it is common to implant a pacemaker from the groin, where there are large blood vessels. Implanting from the neck is a complex challenge.”
Due to the unique situation of Shahad, the doctors decided to perform an advanced pacemaker implant through the neck, without wires and electrodes. This pacemaker was similar to the one received by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a few weeks ago. Save a Child’s Heart has obtained the funding for the rare procedure, and Medtronic has joined forces to assist in the process, performed in Israel for the first time.
“Because of Shahad’s abnormal venous connection, we had to approach the situation with a very special procedure, through the neck — a first in Israel. The old wires were removed and then we implanted the new pacemaker. I am pleased that Wolfson Medical Center is the first in the country to carry out a rare procedure of this kind,” explains Professor Rubinstein.
Last week, Shahad underwent a successful surgery, which was also attended by the Head of Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Dr. Sagi Asa, and by Dr. Daniel Tarchisky of the Heart Institute team. After recuperating at the Sylvan Children’s Hospital and the International Pediatric Cardiac Center of Save a Child’s Heart at Wolfson, Shahad was released and returned home to Gaza.
After the surgery, Shahad’s mother said, “I was very scared for Shahad, and I thank Save a Child’s Heart and the medical team for the help and life-saving care they provided to my daughter.”
Despite her medical condition and her long hospitalization that interrupted her high school years, Shahad graduated from high school and successfully passed all her final exams.
Recently, she began studying technology and graphic design at a university in Gaza. Her dream is to become a nurse and join the Save a Child’s Heart team.
