Heart Patients Study Pig Hearts to Learn About Cardiac Health

Members of the Happy Hearts support group have been meeting at Community Memorial Hospital in Menomonee Falls since 2005.  However, Tuesday's meeting gave them an experience unlike any they’ve ever had before.

Each participant got a chance to learn how the human heart functions and keeps in electrical rhythm by examining and handling an actual pig heart.

“It’s kind of interesting,” said Larry Urban, a heart patient from Milwaukee. “They’re teaching us about the function of the heart.  I’ve had a pacemaker for 22 years and this gives me a better idea of how it works.”

February is National Heart Month and the opportunity to work with animal hearts was a unique part of this group’s celebration.  Happy Hearts is a support group for Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) patients. The group is open to all Froedtert Health patients and anyone else interested in attending.

“I received a card in the mail saying they would show us with a pig’s heart and I thought that was interesting,” said Jim Shackelford, 56, of Menomonee Falls. “Since I have a pacemaker, I wanted to know a little bit more than they told me when they put it in.  It’s really interesting, especially talking to other people who are in a similar situation to mine.”

An ICD is a device that works to treat rapid life-threatening heartbeat events, in order to prevent Sudden Cardiac Death which claims the lives of approximately 325,000 people in the United States every year. The device is usually implanted under the collarbone on either side of the chest where it monitor’s the heart’s rhythm continuously according to instructions programmed by doctors.

About 25 people attended the support group meeting. They were able to closely observe how the electrical leads to and from the ICD are connected to the heart. ICDs are implanted to treat rhythms that occur when your heart’s natural electricity short circuits in the bottom ventricle chambers and causes dangerous types of fast rhythms.

“This is a first-hand look at what is happening to them and using the pig’s heart makes it a lot more clear to them,” said Linda Bremberger, RN, a cardiac nurse at the hospital.  “It’s our job to help them understand because it helps them a lot with coping and strategizing for what they can do to keep themselves happiest. It helps them to face their heart problem straight on so they can make the best decisions for themselves.”