Travel with Heart: when the grand prize winner turns out to be a patient

At the age of 40, Vincent thought he was in great shape. He was active, had no symptoms of illness, and had no prior history of heart disease. However, he hadn’t had a physical exam since he was a teenager because he didn’t have a family doctor. His loved ones convinced him to schedule a routine checkup. 

During the appointment, the physician put the stethoscope on Vincent’s chest, paused, and then looked at him. He had a heart murmur. Vincent was stunned, to say the least. It was a moment that would lead to a long journey of care at the Montreal Heart Institute. 

Vincent underwent additional exams at the MHI which revealed two separate conditions. The first one was Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a heart condition that can cause sudden death. Fortunately, a cryoablation procedure was quickly carried out and corrected the issue. 

Second, cardiologists discovered that Vincent had a bicuspid aortic valve, a congenital heart disease which means his aortic valve had two flaps instead of three.  

Unfortunately, it also meant that calcium would build up over time and cause the valve to stiffen. In other words, his heart would have to work increasingly harder to pump blood. Vincent was carefully monitored for nearly a decade. Every year, the opening in his valve became narrower. 

Vincent regularly purchased tickets for the Travel with Heart raffle to support cardiovascular health, a cause that he cares deeply about. When he learned he won the grand prize — a trip valued at $25,000 — last year, he knew he’d be returning home from the vacation to surgery. 

With this in mind, his trip took on a whole new meaning. Vincent took his spouse and children to Spain and Portugal. It was their first trip to Europe as a family. After two and half weeks of breathtaking discoveries and unforgettable memories, he returned home to undergo the surgery.  

Because Vincent was approaching 50, the procedure to replace his aortic valve with a bioprosthetic one was inevitable.  

The MHI is able to carry out minimally invasive surgeries for this type of procedure thanks to Dr. Denis Bouchard who uses a specialized approach that consists of making an incision between two ribs instead of opening the sternum. As a result, recovery is quicker and takes less of a physical toll on the patient. 

Vincent spent a few months recovering and is now progressively returning to his normal routine. He’s started exercising and finding his stride again. For Vincent, a physically active dad of three, choosing a bioprosthetic valve felt like a natural choice. It enables him to remain active without having to depend on anticoagulants or be extremely diligent about his nutrition. 

Vincent knows that his journey at the MHI is far from over. His bioprosthetic valve will have to be replaced in 10, 15, or 20 years. But he is confident that the field of medicine will continue to make advances. And that techniques will improve. 

That’s exactly why he continues to support the Foundation. Because when the time comes, the options will be even greater. For him, for others, and for everyone for whom a simple routine exam could change everything.