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For One New Mother, Paying Attention To Her Body Saved Her Life

Posted: 7/6/2011

Heart patient Laura Huber, here with her daughter Maddie, can lead a full life with the help of a mechanical circulatory support device.

(NAPSI)—Ten fingers, ten toes, a healthy cry and sparkling eyes. Baby Maddie was everything Laura and CJ Huber had imagined and dreamed of and, as a new mom, Huber had never felt more alive. Five days later, it was another story.

Unable to catch her breath, Huber had what seemed like a mild case of walking pneumonia. Yet for Huber, a cardiac physical therapist, she knew it might be something more and persisted with her doctors to diagnose her.

Just nine days following Maddie’s birth, Huber was admitted to the hospital. She was transferred to two additional medical centers as her condition quickly deteriorated.

“I knew something was terribly wrong,” recalls Huber. “But I had no idea how very sick I was until I found myself being airlifted to Minnesota.”

In fact, Huber’s heart was failing due to postpartum cardiomyopathy.

Postpartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM)

PPCM is a relatively rare form of heart failure. According to the National Institutes of Health, PPCM complicates every one in 1,400 to 3,000 deliveries in the United States. While there are risk factors, it is unknown what specifically causes this disorder. Early prognosis and treatment are important, and while some women will recover from symptoms and remain stable, others can get worse, as was the case with Huber.

At University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, it was determined that Huber required a lifesaving device: a left ventricular assist device called the HeartMate II.

Treating Heart Failure

The HeartMate II has become a standard of care for treating patients with heart failure, such as Huber. The device is designed to dramatically improve survival rates and quality of life. The HeartMate II was attached to Huber’s aorta and ventricle, providing the energy to propel blood throughout her body, giving her back her life.

On Mother’s Day 2007, Huber saw her baby Maddie for the first time since falling ill. With her HeartMate II, Huber quickly began to regain her strength and, more important, experience the joys of motherhood.

Today, Huber still has her HeartMate II and currently has no plans to get a heart transplant. “I’m feeling great,” said Huber. “I don’t feel like a heart transplant would offer me a better feeling than I have right now!”

University of Minnesota Medical Center is one of the 120 centers in the country to offer the HeartMate II. For more information about heart failure or the HeartMate II heart pump, please visit www.hearthope.com.

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