A Heartfelt Miracle: The Inspiring Heart Procedure Journey of Elia Contreras

Elia Contreras wasn’t supposed to live past five years old, according to the news her parents received after what started as a routine checkup when she was just a few months old. Now, almost 50 years later, Elia has defied the odds and continues to thrive year after year.

"I'm a walking miracle," said Elia. "I have faced emergency heart procedures multiple times in my life, starting when I was just a baby.”

When Elia was born, she appeared to be a healthy baby. However, several months later, her mother noticed that she couldn’t keep food down. Concerned, her mother took Elia to the doctor for a checkup. The doctor immediately recommended that Elia see a specialist, who soon discovered she had a congenital heart defect. Unlike most hearts, which have four chambers, Elia’s heart had only three.

At just six-months-old, Elia underwent emergency surgery. Doctors told her parents they didn't expect her to live past five-years-old, but Elia proved to be a fighter. Over the years, she had two more heart procedures, one in her late teens and another in her 20s.

“Throughout the years, I have been in and out of the hospital for heart-related issues. I am always keenly aware of how I’m feeling. I feel so blessed that I’ve beaten the odds so many times,” said Elia.

Elia is always vigilant about monitoring her health, paying close attention to any changes or unusual symptoms. Then, after almost 30 years without a major procedure, she knew something wasn’t right. She was at work when her heart suddenly started racing.

“My heart rate was 200 beats per minute. I was sweating profusely and had to be rushed to Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital. I feared it was the end of the road for me,” she recalled.

A Life-Saving Surgery

Doctors quickly went to work to bring Elia’s heart rate down. Once she was stabilized a team of cardiologists assessed Elia’s condition and reached out to Dr. Alejandro Vidal Margenat, an electrophysiologist affiliated with Memorial Hermann.

"She was very lucky to receive a fast and precise treatment by the emergency room and cardiology team. It was a life-threatening arrhythmia in her case,” said Dr. Vidal.

Dr. Vidal said Elia had experienced yet another miracle. The number of surgeries Elia had previously had due to her congenital heart condition left scars on her heart. Sometimes, those scars can cause an arrhythmia, which is a fast or irregular heart rhythm.

"Almost any congenital heart condition has a higher chance of causing arrhythmia. She had atypical flutter, which was particularly severe in her case, with a heart rate faster than 200 beats per minute,” said Dr. Vidal.

Elia was transferred to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, where complex imaging studies were conducted by the adult congenital heart disease team. Dr. Vidal determined that she needed a minimally invasive procedure to treat her irregular heartbeat.

Getting Elia’s Heart Back in Rhythm

In order to treat Elia’s arrythmia, doctors perform a minimally invasive procedure called ablation. Doctors insert a thin, flexible tube called a catheter through a blood vessel to reach the heart. The catheter can be inserted in the groin, shoulder or neck. Typically, doctors use heat or cold energy to correct irregular heart rhythms, but in Elia’s case, Dr. Vidal thought she would be a good candidate for a new technology called pulsed field ablation (PFA). Instead of using heat or cold to treat the heart tissue, PFA uses quick, high-energy electric pulses. These pulses only affect the specific heart tissue that needs to be treated.

"This technology allowed us to do the procedure faster and very successfully. Because Elia's heart condition made her arrhythmia particularly dangerous, using PFA minimized the risk of damaging surrounding tissues and ensured a quicker recovery, which was important for her complex case,” said Dr. Vidal.

Elia’s procedure was a success. She woke up and noticed a difference immediately.

"It was a big relief, like a weight was lifted off of me. I immediately felt the difference. I no longer felt pressure or palpitations," said Elia. "It was a huge relief.”

Elia is immensely grateful for Dr. Vidal and the team at Memorial Hermann who saved her life, granting her another miracle but she’s not done.

“I am here for a reason. I hope sharing my story will inspire others and help other patients who might benefit from my journey," she said. “Miracles happen every day and I’m definitely a testament to that.”

To learn more about Arrhythmia, click here.