"SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital is the ideal hospital for children with complex heart diseases."

When Isaías was born in his home country, Costa Rica, the doctors diagnosed him with a serious congenital heart defect that posed a major threat to his life. The solution was a complex operation that unfortunately was not available in his country. 

However, his family did not give up hope and started an exhaustive search in order to find hospitals renowned for child heart surgery that could safely operate on Isaías. That is how they found SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital. 

After contacting the Hospital, they had an online interview with Dr Joan Sánchez de Toledo, head of the Heart Unit, who after assessing the case confirmed that he could be treated at our centre. 

Once in Barcelona, Dr Stefano Congiu, head of the children’s Cardiac Surgery Department at SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital, a specialist with long-standing experience, successfully performed the operation.

“It was a complex operation, but it was successful without any major incidents”, explained Dr Congiu. “Before the operation, we realised that Isaías had an unusual blood-clotting disorder, in addition to his heart condition. He was suffering from a deficiency in the von Willebrand factor, which in most cases is congenital, but that in this particular case was acquired and secondary to his heart defect. This of course meant that once his heart condition had been resolved, so too would his bleeding disorder”.

María, Isaías’ mother, highlighted the fact that Dr Congiu infused them with a lot of confidence and assurance. She also said that both she and her son had a very good experience during the hospital stay, and was quick to point out that all of the staff at the Hospital took the time to give them all of the information they needed at every stage of their experience at the Hospital. 

María also remembered appreciating Isaías being made to feel part of the Hospital’s normal routine designed for patients that need any type of surgical operation in which the team of psychologists take the lead in telling the children all of the details about their medical and surgical treatment by adapting the language they use to the patient’s circumstances and age, ensuring they clear up any questions they may have. They thus manage to make sure that when patients have to go through the different stages of their hospital stay they know exactly what is going to happen.

Once Isaías was discharged after his hospitalisation without complications, he and María returned home. She told us that in her opinion SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital “is the best children’s hospital in the world”, and she added that “we received marvelous care and the medical team have cured my son, which is why I have recommended the Hospital to other families in my country who find themselves in a similar situation. We are hugely grateful to this Hospital, because from now on Isaías will be able to lead a normal life, do sport and walk without getting tired”.