Heart-stopping finale

Top doctor saves his patient from death

True heartfelt solidarity - Professor Dominik Wiedemann with his overjoyed patient(Bild: Imre Antal)

Rescue at the very last minute! A top doctor at St. Pölten Hospital saved his patient from Purgstall (Lower Austria) from death with a complicated procedure.

"Although my patient Jasmin Kastner is only 37 years old, she already has a challenging medical history. Even as a baby, she had to undergo two major operations at Vienna General Hospital," explains Professor Dr. Dominik Wiedemann, Clinical Director of Cardiac Surgery in the Lower Austrian capital.

Rare organic defect
Little Jasmin was born with a "truncus arteriosus communis". In this rare organic defect, there is only one common outlet from the heart and the pulmonary artery - instead of two separate valves.

The damage was already so advanced that it was unclear whether the heart would survive the necessary operation.

Herzchirurg Dr. Dominik Wiedemann

A so-called conduit therefore had to be inserted during the first operation. Another operation was necessary as a child, during which this artificial vascular prosthesis was replaced.

Even as a child, Jasmin proved that she had a fighter's heart. As a young woman, however, her condition gradually worsened - in desperation, she finally turned to senior physician Dr. Paul Vock from the Department of Cardiology at the University Hospital in St. Pölten.

"I'm getting better from heartbeat to heartbeat"
The doctor immediately recognized the dramatic situation and sent the patient to primary physician Dominik Wiedemann, who was trained by cardiac luminary Professor Günther Laufer.

"When she was presented to me, she was scarred," recalls the specialist. He decided to go ahead with the life-saving procedure. "I am indebted to the entire team. I always felt that I was in good hands. I feel better from heartbeat to heartbeat," says Jasmin Kastner gratefully.