Cardiologists at the MHI: carrying on a family legacy

When faced with forks in our professional career paths, our values and beliefs often provide guidance for the choices we make. What are the odds that a father and daughter, each shaped by different medical eras, would end up working as cardiologists in the same hospital? 

When a young Ihor Dyrda decided to become a clinical researcher, he wanted to do so in the field of neurology. “It was complete happenstance that I became involved in cardiology. It wasn’t planned at all. There was a lot to do in this discipline, and I am someone who is extremely curious. I believe that when you put your whole heart into something, and you keep an open mind, everything—and I mean everything—becomes fascinating,” he said.

He joined the Montreal Heart Institute in 1968 at a time when there was still much to do. “There wasn’t a lot going on in the field of cardiology in the 60s. Heart surgery was in its infancy, bypass surgery didn’t even exist, and valve surgery was very risky, with a mortality rate of about 23%. Today, it’s about 2% to 6%. That decade saw huge advances in hemodynamics. With the advent of coronary surgery, we experienced a genuine paradigm shift: we suddenly had the ability to act, intervene, and change lives,” he said. The Montreal Heart Institute, a highly specialized medical centre that was just beginning to establish itself, played an important role in this progress. 

Even though Dr. Ihor Dyrda was just beginning his career, he had a hand in major breakthroughs that marked the history and evolution of cardiology, both here in Quebec and abroad. In May 1968, he took part in the country’s first successful heart transplant, a groundbreaking event led by Dr. Pierre Grondin at the MHI. 

He then became part of a small team of pioneers in cardiovascular medicine. “For a long time, I was one of the only people to perform myocardial biopsies to detect the early signs of a heart transplant rejection. No one liked doing them. It frightened them!” said the cardiologist who became renowned among his peers for his humility and sense of humour. 

Dr. Ihor Dyrda’s list of achievements at the MHI is a long one. He was the head of the cardiology department, the head of the emergency medical services and outpatient clinics, the chair of the medical practice evaluation committee, and the chair of the teaching and professional development committee that, under his guidance, was praised by the entire medical profession for the quality of its programs and the excellence of its scientific organization. His work has been recognized by the Association des cardiologues du Québec and, in 2002, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society bestowed the Distinguished Teacher/Mentor Award on him in recognition of his dedication and his significant contributions to education in cardiology. 

After studying engineering, Dr. Katia Dyrda joined the MHI in 2012. She began her career as a cardiologist just as her father was ending his. Even though they were professional colleagues for only a short amount of time, it quickly became apparent that the apple did not fall very far from the tree. 

Dr. Katia Dyrda exhibits the same curiosity and resolute enthusiasm as her father. Even at a young age, she felt driven by the same passion. “My father worked hard, which to me meant he was doing something interesting. I didn’t view work as an obligation, but as something you were passionate about, something that made you feel fulfilled. I really had no intention of following in his footsteps. Then again, his path wasn’t one he deliberately chose either. Picking a career was actually quite difficult because I loved everything—I found everything interesting! My father encouraged me to discover lots of different fields such as engineering and physics. I was captivated by aerospace, but I needed people. I needed to be surrounded by people and to help them. Cardiology was the perfect choice for me because it allowed me the freedom to explore, to discover, and to blend engineering with medicine,” she said. 

Just like her father, Dr. Katia Dyrda began practising in cardiovascular medicine at a pivotal time, during an era marked by major advances in electrophysiology, the discipline in which she chose to specialize. “We both nurtured our sense of curiosity in distinct fields in the time we practised together. I think that what unites us is our ability to follow the flow, to feed it, to not be afraid of being bold. It’s a key asset that allows us to keep up with change,” she said. 

As a cardiologist-electrophysiologist—and someone who also trained as an engineer—she is able to bring an analytical perspective to her practice. “I strive to understand how things work. There is so much uncertainty in medicine; it’s an environment that is constantly changing. My vision allows me not only to have a certain control over situations but also to innovate, create, and push boundaries. The people at the MHI are go-getters. The teams are dynamic. It was only natural for me to commit myself in a discipline where everything is always new and constantly changing,” she said. 

We asked Dr. Ihor Dyrda how he reacted when he found out his daughter’s choice of career. It was the father, rather than the cardiologist, who answered. “She chose something she loved, and she followed her own path to feel fulfilled in what she does. Children may watch what we do, but they ultimately choose what they want. Of course, there was the issue of work–life balance, and I was a bit worried because success takes sacrifice,” he said. 

Dr. Katia Dyrda is a mother to three pre-teen boys. She says she has been successful in finding this balance in her personal and professional life. “Women are fully accepted at the MHI. It’s an environment where we can find ways that allow us to be there for our kids while pursuing our work. I think women will always have to juggle more things, but it is changing. I found a caring environment at the MHI that enabled me to start a family. I work very hard, and my kids are involved in this life I’ve chosen. For instance, they sometimes bike to the hospital with me or do their homework while I work. Not to mention all the precious moments we’ve had together when they travel with me for conferences.” Despite how intense her day-to-day work may seem, Dr. Katia Dyrda is a cardiologist and mother who has found balance in movement. It is safe to say that this balance is aligned with her personality and values.

A Dr. Dyrda has been part of the MHI for over half a century. Both father and daughter have been at the forefront of the changes made to implement sustainable practices and make advances in cardiovascular medicine. Each of them has been spurred by a desire to excel and push boundaries. “Neither my father nor I would ever accept hearing that we can’t do something. The best way to get us involved is to say, ‘No, you can’t do that!’ That means we will definitely want to!” she said. 

If Katia’s heart could speak, here’s what it would say: 

“My biggest fear is settling for a routine. Thankfully, I work in a field that is constantly making discoveries, a field where there is so much to learn and where change is a necessity. The status quo doesn’t exist here—that’s what I love.”