Leland baby makes medical history

Duke University Hospital team performs what is believed first partial heart transplant in world

A Leland infant is making medical history and is believed to have had the world’s first partial heart transplant.

It’s a ground breaking surgery performed on Tayler and Nick’s baby boy Owen Monroe.

Their doctor told them that they only had one option and time wasn’t on their side.

“So he basically said that he would need some kind of heart transplant,” said Tayler. “But the problem is that the heart transplant for neonates is usually four to six months”

Baby Owen was diagnosed with Truncus Arteriosus which is a condition where two main arteries are fused together, Owen also had a leaky heart valve.

“They wanted to try this partial heart transplant on him, it was wild,” she said.

According to doctors, normally, a person with a condition like Owen’s would receive two preserved cadaver arteries with valves, but doctors had other plans.

“So when they give you an option where there’s a possibility that they may not have to have any of these in the future,” he said. “The winning opportunity was definitely worth it, the risk.”

A Duke health team transplanted living arteries and valves from a donated heart, and fused them onto baby Owen’s heart.

According to Duke University Medical Hospital’s Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Joseph Turek the new procedure allows the transplanted heart valves to grow with the patient, he led the landmark operation.

“We’re convinced that this is a better option for a long term future than the other option that are out there,” he said. “This is a better option for a long term future than the other option that are out there.”

Tayler said she trusted the process and the medical team.

“If there are other parents that are out there that are considering this, he’s proof that it works,” she said.

Baby Owen is now eating solid food and is thriving.

Follow WWAY on air and online to follow baby Owen’s progress.