Prince St. Kitts

A former national soccer player for his home country of Guyana, Prince St. Kitts has always led an active life. After retiring from his soccer career and moving to Canada, he was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat but continued to enjoy his favorite activities like mountain biking and table tennis. Only after he contracted pneumonia did his heart condition become a problem. Fluid began to accumulate in his lungs, and an echocardiogram revealed that his aortic valve was not closing properly.

Faced with the need to undergo heart surgery at the age of 51, Prince explored his options. A mechanical valve would require regular blood tests and blood thinning medication. A good diet, rigorous exercise, and a healthy lifestyle had always been important to Prince, who was rarely sick. He hated the idea of taking any medication. "What will it do to my body in the long run?" he thought.

		A tissue valve seemed the best option. Even if it meant replacing the valve 15 or 20 years later; going through a known procedure again was better than risking the unknown side effects of lifelong anticoagulation, a drug that carries a daily risk of bleeding and blood clots. Prince was also concerned about the size of the scar that he would be left with and asked if the procedure could be done through a small incision. His surgeon, Dr. Michael Borger of the Toronto General Hospital, was experienced in minimally invasive techniques and on February 19, 2003, Prince had his native aortic valve replaced with the Carpentier-Edwards PERIMOUNT Magna pericardial valve through a small 3-inch incision.
After the operation Prince began lifting weights for the first time, discovering that working his shoulders made him feel better and helped his recovery. To his surgeon's surprise, Prince was out riding his mountain bike only 8 weeks after the surgery. Prince is looking forward to living the rest of his life in good health and has only a small scar to remind him of the road he has traveled. He will have much to tell his friends this Christmas when he returns to Guyana for the first time in 20 years.