HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Heart patient Brandon Atumata, 34, of \u02bbEwa Beach, was discharged Monday from The Queen\u2019s Medical Center after a historic procedure.<\/p>\n
A team of doctors and medical professionals performed the state\u2019s first left ventricular assist device implantation, commonly known as LVAD.<\/p>\n
An LVAD is a surgically implanted pump that assists the heart\u2019s left ventricle in circulating blood throughout the body.<\/p>\n
From shortness of breath to heart failure diagnosis<\/p>\n
Atumata said he knew something was wrong when his job moving furniture and appliances became more difficult. He thought he was out of shape, but a trip up a flight of stairs at home left him out of breath and sent him to the emergency room.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was just trying to catch my breath and ever since \u2014 then that\u2019s when we went to the ER and the doctors was telling me, lucky you came in. This could have been worse,\u201d Atumata said.<\/p>\n
Atumata said he was suffering from congestive heart failure.<\/p>\n
About two and a half weeks ago, he received the LVAD implant at Queen\u2019s, allowing him to recover in Hawai\u02bbi rather than flying to the continent and staying there for six months to a year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would give it a 10 because now for me the biggest thing was just walking. Now I can walk farther\u201d without getting out of breath, Atumata said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the first technology here so we\u2019re really proud that Queen\u2019s is able to bring this to Hawai\u02bbi,\u201d said Jason Chang, The Queen\u2019s Health Systems president and CEO.<\/p>\n
Dr. Jesus Pino Moreno, director of Queen\u2019s Center for Advanced Heart Failure and LVAD, said, \u201cHe recuperated here in Hawai\u02bbi and he will be able to go from the hospital home to his community, to his family, and I think that is what makes more remarkable having these programs here in our center.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pino Moreno worked with cardiac surgeon Dr. Muhammad Anwer and a team of medical professionals to perform the procedure.<\/p>\n
Team members celebrated Atumata\u2019s discharge Monday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I look at Dr. Pino, he\u2019s like the canoe paddle, like we\u2019re all journeying together, all paddling together, right?\u201d said Kapunahele Montgomery, vice president of patient care for cardiac services at The Queen\u2019s Medical Center. <\/p>\n
\u201cIn some of the other boats behind us, you got the nurses, the ICU nurses, the OR nurses and techs, the physicians, the respiratory therapists, occupational therapists, the physical therapists, just a host of people behind everybody that you don\u2019t see,\u201d Montgomery added. \u201cEverybody\u2019s cheering him on today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Atumata cannot swim or participate in aggressive contact sports, but he is walking longer distances and taking one day at a time \u2014 more precious time with the people who love him.<\/p>\n
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