Last year, 29-year-old Alex Marques ended up at his local hospital with a bout of pneumonia. Concerned about the possibility of meningitis, his care team performed CT scans of his neck and chest. Though the scans thankfully ruled out meningitis, they revealed a dilated pulmonary artery. Alex was discharged with instructions to follow up with his primary care physician (PCP).
At the visit with his PCP, Alex shared that he had been experiencing ongoing chest pain and shortness of breath and requested a referral to a cardiologist. Within weeks, he was meeting with cardiologist Amrit Misra, MD, at the Cardiovascular Center at Boston Medical Center.
An Unexpected Diagnosis
"It was wild," Alex says. "When I met with Dr. Misra, he asked me about my symptoms and listened to my heart and immediately said, 'I think you have a hole in your heart.'"
Testing confirmed that Dr. Misra was right: Alex was indeed born with an atrial septal defect (ASD), or a hole in the wall of his heart. An ASD makes the heart and lungs work harder, causing tiredness, shortness of breath, and lung infections. Dr. Misra, a specialist in pediatric cardiology and adult congenital heart conditions, told Alex they could close his ASD to improve his symptoms and help prevent future complications.
“It was definitely scary to think about, but honestly, knowing that it was something that could be fixed was calming in a way,” says Alex. “I was somewhat relieved.”
Once the shock of his diagnosis wore off, Alex remembered having gone to a cardiologist as a teenager, but nothing had come of it. "I played a lot of sports when I was younger, and I remember having chest tightness and being out of breath sooner than other kids, but I never was diagnosed with asthma or anything. Now that I look back, it makes a lot more sense I was having all these symptoms. It was very validating. I don't feel crazy anymore!"
Closing the Hole in Alex’s Heart
To learn more about the ASD, cardiologist Omar K. Siddiqi, MD, performed a specialized ultrasound called a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE). The TEE showed that the hole in Alex’s heart could safely be closed using minimally invasive tools in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab instead of by open heart surgery. BMC Director of Interventional Cardiology Ashvin N. Pande, MD, performed the procedure to close the ASD, and Alex went home the next day on blood thinners and aspirin.
Today, Alex says his breathing and chest pressure have really improved. As he gradually eases back into an exercise routine, he is also giving himself time to reflect on his experience and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. "The whole experience was a lot, but I'm just glad we were able to figure it out," he says. When he's not bartending at a local brewery, Alex enjoys hanging out with his fiancée, her 10-year-old daughter, and their two cats. "We're big into board games and just, a lot of family time."
He looks forward to his continued good health and follow-up visits at BMC. "Everybody at BMC was awesome," he says. "They all show me the utmost respect, so I really do appreciate going there. And Dr. Misra is very personable and kind. He is honestly one of the best doctors I've ever had!"