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Posted on Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:58 a.m.

Images of Mott Children's Hospital: 4-month-old Dominic Santini has open heart surgery

By Courtney Sacco

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The new C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor provides complex care for children that are often the sickest of the sick.

Among them is 4-month-old Dominic Santini of Charlotte, Mich., who underwent open heart surgery on Nov. 27 at the hospital.

Dominic's surgeon, Dr. Richard Ohye, performed a procedure to fix the little boy's heart.

Dominic had two holes in his heart that prevented it from pumping blood through his body efficiently. Technically, it's called an atrioventricular septal defect.

AnnArbor.com photographer Courtney Sacco was able to watch as Ohye surgically corrected the problem.

The day after the surgery, Ohye reported Dominic was happy and doing well.

Ohye said he performs surgeries to correct atrioventricular septal defects several times a month.

"It's one of the top 10 most common surgeries we do," Ohye said.

Since about 2000, Ohye said specialists in the pediatric cardiovascular surgery field have been able to treat almost every heart defect with equal chances of survival because of advances in medicine.

"Now that we’re getting much better at survivors, we’re looking at better quality of life issues," Ohye said, explaining that some of the hottest topics for research in the field are in lifelong neurological and physiological issues after heart surgery.

Comments

Pipkin

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 4:38 p.m.

Nice article. FYI, there is a common error in this caption: "Dominic lays on an operating table in a C.S. Mott Children's Hospital OR as he is prepped for surgery." It should be Dominic LIES on an operating table..." This is a common grammatical mistake. You can lay (put or place) Dominic on the table but he lies (reclines) on the table. Nevertheless, good luck to him.

BHarding

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 1:28 a.m.

Thanks for that, Pipkin. I need to memorize it.

dirty irish

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 7:39 p.m.

I've learned over the years to simply ignore the poor writing skills and grammatical errors plaguing AnnArbor.com, and just try to focus on the content of the story.

Mitch Holdwick

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 4:06 p.m.

Just wanted to thank the parents of this incredible little boy. Nick and Andrea, how brave all three of you are and what a beautiful story. The images are truly breathtaking and I'm so happy to hear little Dominic is doing well. Thank you again for sharing, Dominic is a very handsome little man!

Tim Hornton

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 3:55 p.m.

Surgeons are so AWESOME for saving this little baby. That being said I was less than impressed with this female Dr. at the new Mott's Hospital for my son's foot condition. I went there about 4 times and every time the lady didn't know what to do and actually suggested I make a decision (based on her worthless advice) but could not promise anything. I then went to Royal Oak at Beaumont and got much better advice and was told the problem would probably correct itself in a year or two and to not have the procedure done that the UM doctor suggested, as that would not do anything. WOW. Oh, and the parking is horrible at Mott. You will wait about 15 minutes or more just trying to get out of the structure.

dugster

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 3:36 p.m.

I had a valve replacement at Mott 3 years ago. By the way I was 45 yrs old then. Mott isn't just for your grandkids. I was born with a congenital heart defect, had a hole repaired in 1968. Follow up at the first Mott, the valve replacement at the second and if I outlive the present valve, I will be a patient at the new one. Not many of us can say we've been or will be a patient at all 3 Mott Hospitals

nuseph

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 3:22 p.m.

The Michigan Difference.

Margo

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 1:40 p.m.

It is truly a wonderful place where miracles are performed every day. Just for the record, it is C.S. Mott Children's Hospital - not Motts. It is neither plural nor possessive.

dexterreader

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 1:31 p.m.

Blessings to this family and the miracle workers who make this possible! Dominic looks great the day after his surgery!! Enjoy your new son!!

Carole

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 11:33 a.m.

I have a 24 year old grandson who had open heart surgery at Motts Childrens Hospital in 1988 one week after he was born. He had done marvelously well becoming an eagle scout, still working with his scout leader assisting a special needs boy scout troop, and donating to St. Judes and is now working on another project for St. Judes. I know this youngster will do marvelously well also. Dr. Bove was my grandson's doctor -- my deepest thanks to he and his staff for giving us a great young man.

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