A biology project has been getting two Grade 11 students from Cochrane High School appreciation from the nurses and doctors of Foothills Medical Centre.
Megan Puzey, 16, and Charlotte Harrison, 17, recently presented their teaching project outlining the treatment of aortic stenosis with a transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) to two groups of medical professionals at the hospital. The presentation stemmed from their “Hippocrates Project” — an assignment handed to them by their Biology 20 teacher, Carolyn McLeod.
“They took the basic requirements and then went overboard,” said McLeod.
The project intended to connect students to an illness that they can relate to. For Puzey and Harrison, aortic stenosis was the obvious choice: Puzey’s great-aunt suffered from the disease and had experienced the TAVI procedure.
“The connection to family makes the project meaningful,” said McLeod. “It makes it easier to learn the concepts we’re trying to teach them.”
Aortic stenosis occurs when the heart’s aortic valve narrows and is prevented from fully opening, so the heart goes into overdrive to pump blood throughout the body. Often, aortic stenosis is caused by calcification of the valve in older individuals.
The TAVI procedure delivers a replacement valve to the site, using a catheter, without having to remove the damaged valve. The procedure is fairly new and minimally invasive. Usually, valve replacement requires open-heart surgery.
“Now we know everything there is to know about TAVI,” said Harrison with a laugh. “We joke that we could pretty much perform (the procedure) at this point.”
“Even when we presented to the medical professionals, many of them were unaware of the complete procedure — from diagnosis to recovery,” continued Puzey, whose mother works in the cardiology unit at Foothills. “Usually they only see the step of the process their specific unit addresses.
“Overall, it was a great learning experience.”
