Good Sam Cardiac Surgeon Performs Rare Procedure to Fix Congenital Heart Defect

At 53, Thomas “TJ” Burke thought he was in perfect health. As the athletic director at Plainedge School District (North Massapequa, NY) and former college athlete, he stayed in top shape with regular basketball and golf, never thinking twice about his heart health. But after a round of golf one weekend, everything changed. TJ started feeling what he thought were harmless gas pains. As the discomfort grew and breathing became difficult, his wife made the lifesaving call to 911. 

EMTs rushed him to Catholic Health's St. Francis Heart Center at St. Joseph Hospital (Bethpage, NY), where doctors quickly ruled out a heart attack. Instead, they uncovered something far more unusual: a rare congenital heart defect. Incredibly, less than 1% of adults live with an undiagnosed heart abnormality, and TJ is one of them. 

The discovery led to a first-of-its-kind open-heart surgery on Long Island. Within 48 hours, Timothy Carter, MD, a specialist in aortic surgery, rerouted TJ’s artery, correcting the defect that had silently threatened his life. The procedure was a success, leaving TJ with no physical limitations and a bright outlook.

Ralph Caselnova, MD, Co-Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at St. Joseph Hospital, recommended TJ to Dr. Carter at Catholic Health's St. Francis Heart Center at Good Samaritan University Hospital (West Islip, NY) after reviewing TJ’s cardiac CT scan that showed the rare congenital heart defect.

“The ER staff at St. Joseph Hospital took TJ’s complaints seriously, the cardiology team jumped in, and when they saw no blockage, they diagnosed the congenital issue and transferred him right away so that he could have surgery within a few days,” said Dr. Carter. “The whole process really worked well.”

He explained that TJ’s heart defect proved to be extremely rare and difficult to repair. Instead of traveling its normal route to supply blood to the left side of the heart muscle, the left main artery came off the right side of the aorta, traveled down between the pulmonary artery, through the right side of the heart, and under a bridge of muscle in the septum.

This path pinched the artery when the heart muscle contracted with every heartbeat. Unlike a blockage caused by plaque buildup, a bypass operation could not fix this defect.

Dr. Carter essentially built a tunnel through TJ’s heart, rerouting the artery to travel unimpeded. 

He noted that TJ’s prognosis is excellent, with no physical limitations. He emphasizes that TJ’s case highlights the importance of maintaining a consistent relationship with a primary care provider (PCP) and seeking care when you think something is wrong.

“Congenital coronary abnormalities are like snowflakes,” said Dr. Carter. “It is hard to draw conclusions. But we are finding more and more of these types of problems as our diagnostic technology improves.”

TJ is grateful for the outcome. As his recovery continues, he looks forward to returning to work and his full range of activities, including hitting a few golf balls.

His lifesaving care was made possible by the coordinated efforts of leading cardiologists and cardiac surgeons at St. Francis Heart Center, Long Island’s most awarded heart program at the forefront of new technology and procedures.

“It’s a good thing I listened to the signs,” TJ said, grateful for the expert care that saved his life. He now looks forward to returning to his job, his active lifestyle, and, of course, hitting a few more golf balls.

Learn more about Catholic Health cardiology services.

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