Harry's Story
Traveled across the Pacific to be treated at Los Robles
Harry Yee was walking to his office when all of a sudden, he felt like he was about to collapse. The Honolulu resident stumbled to get his bearings and finished the walk to his office a block away. What he didn’t realize was that he was experiencing a transient ischemic attack (TIA). Often called a mini-stroke, a TIA is a major warning of a future stroke or of other health issues. In Mr. Yee’s case, it was indicator of a patent foramen ovale (PFO).
A PFO is a small opening between the two upper chambers of the heart and the right and left atrium. In a normal heart, a thin membranous wall made up of two connecting flaps separates the chambers. This makes it so no blood can flow between them. If a PFO exists, blood can flow between the atria through the flaps and out to the blood vessels of the body. When this happens, a clot can pass through the PFO and can cause a stroke.
At 62 years old, Mr. Yee, a medical malpractice defense attorney, had no idea that he was at risk for stroke. He walks regularly, plays golf and considers himself a fairly healthy eater. While he has a stressful job, he believes that he handles his stress well. So, when he arrived at the hospital, he was shocked to learn that he was having a stroke. After three days of tests, the PFO was determined to be the cause.
“I work with expert physicians all over the country.” says Mr. Yee. “So, I called a trusted friend, he recommended Dr. Saibal Kar at Los Robles Health System.” On December 4, 2019, Mr. Yee flew from Honolulu to Southern California, where Dr. Kar performed the PFO closure procedure. A catheter with a closure device is inserted through the leg vein up to the heart, where the device is left to close up the flap. Mr. Yee was admitted to the hospital at 6 am and discharged at 6 pm the same day.
“There was little to no pain. I was awake for the entire procedure. From the moment I walked in until the moment I walked out, the care I received was the best. Not that I want to, but I would come here again if I had to,” says Mr. Yee with a laugh.
Dr. Kar has been performing the PFO closure procedure since its inception more than 20 years ago—in fact, he is one of the developers of this break-through minimally invasive procedure. Interested in learning more about your heart? Take our heart risk assessment.
