Camille Ames always knew she had a heart murmur - it had been diagnosed as a child. But when she started having symptoms in late 2023, she became concerned. "I'm a nurse, and I could hear the murmur getting louder," she says. "I also started feeling dizzy and tired, and I was having a lot of heart palpitations, especially when I felt fatigued or sick." Camille knew these symptoms might be the signs of a problem, so she reached out to her primary care physician, Dr. Kelly Schuering at Boston Medical Center (BMC), who sent her for an echocardiogram.
Diagnosed with a Congenital Heart Condition
"When I went in for my echo, and the tech told me he needed to grab the doctor, I immediately knew something was wrong," Camille says. That's when she met cardiologist Dr. Stephen Tsaur.
"Dr. Tsaur took a look and told me that a hole in between my atria and a cleft in my mitral valve, both congenital heart conditions I had been born with. Because of these conditions, I had developed muscle thickening in my heart - because it had to work harder."
The diagnosis came as a shock to Camille, especially since she had always been very active. "I did competitive dance as a kid and crew in high school. But in retrospect, I realized there was always a point where I would just hit a wall, and I just couldn't seem to build stamina. Now I know why."
Once she had a diagnosis, she talked through her options with Dr. Tsaur. "Because of the type of anomaly I had, was not a candidate for an interventional heart procedure. I needed to have open-heart surgery."
A Successful Collaboration
BMC collaborates closely with Boston Children's Hospital for many types of complex congenital heart disease that require specialized surgery. Camille scheduled her surgery with a Boston Children's pediatric heart surgeon in February 2024. "Throughout the process, I had a lot of support from Dr. Tsaur and the cardiology team at BMC," she says. "Dr. Tsaur was really helpful and kind. He's got great bedside manner."
Camille's surgery went well, and she was out of the hospital in about five days, though it took her some time to get back to her activities. "I definitely felt tired for a while afterwards, and it took some time to move around without pain. But eight weeks after surgery I got on a plane to take a vacation, and I was walking a lot, so I didn't end up needing any rehab."
Since her surgery, Camille has continued to follow-up with Dr. Tsaur for regular visits. "He's really phenomenal, very supportive and responsive," she says. "Every time I see him, he's engaged and interested in how I'm doing as a person, not just in my heart. I would absolutely recommend Dr. Tsaur to anyone who needs heart care."
Feeling Inspired by Her Care
Now, two years out from surgery, Camille is feeling great. She's back to doing all her regular activities-but without heart palpitations or dizziness. "After surgery, I realized how tired I was before surgery, sometimes even just going up stairs would wear me out."
Having heart surgery has also led to a slight pivot in her career. Camille recently moved to New Hampshire and is studying to become a family nurse practitioner (FNP). "I took a job in a cardiac intensive care unit and I'm hoping with my FNP to work in cardiac medicine," she says.
She is inspired by the care she received from Dr. Tsaur and her other providers at BMC. "Having health care providers that you can trust and communicate with is so beneficial - it can be really scary to go through surgery, so knowing that you have someone who is in your corner is truly priceless."