ALCAPA (Anomalous Left Coronary Artery From the Pulmonary Artery) is a very rare, but serious congenital cardiac anomaly accounting for approximately 0.25-0.5% of all congenital heart disease. Left untreated, the mortality rate in the first year of life is 90% secondary to myocardial ischemia or infarction and mitral valve insufficiency leading to CHF (Congestive Heart Failure). Sudden death may occur because of inadequate collateral circulation between the left and right coronary artery systems.
In layman's terms it is when the coronary artery is connected to the
wrong part of the heart causing poor weight gain in my case, along
with irritability and pain.
The only treatment available currently is surgery
which involves reconnecting the coronary artery to the correct place
on the heart. This procedure is delicate and lengthy and the surgeon
who operated on me is widely respected as one of the best in the
world in his field.
My operation took over 5 hours and was successful. However, I also
had a secondary condition called severe mitral valve regurgitation
which hampered my attempts to recover from my first operation. So, 3
weeks later, I had a second operation to repair this.
Mitral valve regurgitation — or mitral regurgitation —
is a condition in which the heart's mitral valve doesn't close tightly,
which allows blood to flow backward in the heart. Mitral valve regurgitation
is also called mitral insufficiency, or mitral incompetence.
When the mitral valve doesn't function properly, blood can't move through the heart or to the rest of the body as efficiently.
The condition can leave you fatigued and short of breath. As many as one in five people over age 55 has some degree of mitral valve regurgitation.
Treatment of mitral valve regurgitation depends on the severity and progression of the condition and signs and symptoms.
For mild cases, treatment may not be necessary. You may need heart surgery to repair or replace the valve for more severe cases.
Left unchecked, severe mitral valve regurgitation can lead to heart failure or serious heart rhythm irregularities (arrhythmias).
