New medical device saves Alberta woman from deadly COVID-19 blood clot
An Alberta woman’s life was saved from a blood clot caused by COVID-19 utilizing a new medical device making its Canadian debut.
The Indigo Lightning CAT12 was used by physicians at the Foothills Medical Centre to remove a pulmonary embolism from Brenda Crowell's lungs.
"Unfortunately, she had COVID-19," explained Dr. Jason Wong, the physician who performed the surgery. "Shortly after that, she developed what we would call venous thromboembolic disease. That basically means blood clots that form in the deep veins of the legs or the arms, or possibly can form in the blood vessels in the lungs.
"In Brenda's case, I'm quite sure that because she had COVID-19, she developed these blood clots from her legs, [which] broke off and went to her lungs."
Crowell was rushed to the emergency room on May 6 after being clinically dead for more than 30 minutes.
"I made it about halfway to the hospital," recounted Crowell. "And then I don't remember anything until I woke up on May 13.
"I had gone into full cardiac arrest by [the] time I got to the hospital."
Crowell was quickly resuscitated, stabilized, then brought to surgery where the Pulmonary Emergency Response Team used the CAT12 to remove the embolism.
"I was intubated as well," said Crowell. "They took me to the ICU to stabilize me. And then from there I had the procedure to remove the major blood clot from my lung."
Crowell was put in a medically induced coma for eight days following the surgery.
The CAT12 uses a flexible catheter, roughly the size of a drinking straw, to remove blood clots. Different sizes of catheters can be fitted depending on the size of the blood vessel. The device is designed to detect the difference between free-flowing blood and blood clots.
The Foothills Medical Centre acquired the CAT12 last year for emergency use.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.