Broady Doland

Traci Doland reports that her son, Broady, had a CT scan today in preparation for heart surgery.  Broady has scimitar syndrome, which involves several problems including partial anomalous pulmonary venous return, hypoplasia of the right lung and right lower lobe sequestration.

“We meet with the surgeons on October 26th,” says Traci.  “They have us for November 10th for his heart cath.  So, if all goes well, we should be in for surgery right before Thanksgiving.”

Please remember Broady and his family in your prayers.

Himalayan salt inhaler

It’s spring along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and love is not the only thing in the air.  The pollen count is rising, so an assortment of allergy products are filling our medicine cabinets.  Counteracting the dark side of lush green foliage and festively blooming flowers has been particularly daunting when addressing Nathan’s vulnerabilities.  One component of Scimitar Syndrome is pulmonary hypoplasia, which creates a susceptibility to right lung infections and a higher risk of pneumonia.  Keeping Nathan healthy this time of year is tricky; I’m always on the lookout for products and medicines to battle allergies.

As much as I like the neti pot, there is no way this method of nasal irrigation would be practical for a small child.  But I recently ran across a product from Chinaberry that claims to be every bit as beneficial, if not better.

The Himalayan Salt Inhaler is a ceramic salt cellar designed with an inhalation hole for the mouth and a plastic plug at its base for replacement salts.  In 1843, Polish physician, Felix Bocskowski, speculated that the reason Wieliczka salt miners had significantly less respiratory illness was because there were therapeutic benefits in the caves’ salty air.  The salt inhaler is an attempt to bring the benefits of this mineral-rich air right to your door.

The design is simple.  A chamber holds the salt crystals that purportedly come from Himalayan salt mines.  According to instructions, the user is to inhale through the spout at the top and exhale through the nose for a recommended 25 to 30 minutes a day (which can be broken into 5-10 minute sessions).  It is claimed that some people find that this product can prevent or ameliorate symptoms of a cold, asthma, bronchitis, COPD, hay fever and other respiratory problems with regular use.

Replacement salts can be purchased online, but the salt crystals supposedly can last anywhere from 3 to 5 years as long as they are kept dry.  Supervision is probably advised with children who may tend to “slobber” into the hole.

Does it work?  Hard to say since we’ve only had one for a couple weeks.  It’s a rough time of year, so we have the full arsenal at play right now–Claritin, Flonase, Allergen Block (the new stuff you rub on your nose to repel pollen), the nebulizer… so we don’t exactly have a scientifically sound experiment going on.  Still, I figure it can’t hurt.  I’ve ordered a second one for myself (it’s recommended that only one person use each inhaler).   After a few months, maybe I’ll be in a better position to evaluate whether the product is a dandy or a dud.

My son, Nathan, now eight-years-old, has Scimitar Syndrome. His surgery, performed almost three years ago, was successful.

The abnormal pulmonary vein may be connected to the inferior vena cava or directly to the right atrium, sending already oxygen-rich blood into the chamber that sends blood to the lungs.  Because this is an inefficient way for the heart to work, the heart can become enlarged and weakened.  Untreated, this CHD can lead to dyspnea (breathlessness), atrial arrhythmias, pulmonary hypertension, and heart failure.

Other components of scimitar syndrome include dextrocardia and hypoplasia.  Dextrocardia, the severe rotation of the heart onto the right side of the chest or the mirror-image presentation of the heart, requires no surgical intervention.  Hypoplasia, however, can be associated with recurrent bouts of pneumonia, and in some cases, pneumonectomy or removal of the hypoplastic lung is necessary.

For some patients, conservative treatment is an option.  But if more than half of the pulmonary veins empty into the right atrium, it may be necessary to reroute blood flow into the left atrium.  This is achieved by surgically constructing a “baffle” or tunnel out of the patient’s own pericardium, creating a pathway through the right chamber and into the left.

A different approach may be warranted for patients with a large systemic collateral artery.  Coil occlusion, the placement of a coil to block blood flow, can improve symptoms of heart failure in infants with scimitar syndrome and can be a good surgical correction for this condition.

On a personal note, Scimitar Syndrome is the heart condition that my own child has battled.   See these related articles on this website:  Dr. Edward Bove, Nathan’s Prayer,  About, Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return, A Memory of Scimitar Syndrome, Three Year Anniversary.

Also see my article in Parents magazine:  “Nathan’s Wonder Slide”

Does your child have Scimitar Syndrome?  Is he/she facing surgery?  Consider adding your child to our prayer list.