Victor Kuo Adv Heart Failure +Stroke

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting. 

Victor is currently a Cardiothoracic ICU patient at the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC). He has advanced heart failure, the most severe state of heart disease.  However, this is his first heart attack. The cardiologists consider him "young" (under 50) for these recent events. 

On June 11, 2020, Victor suffered acute cardiogenic shock from a massive heart attack while undergoing a diagnostic evaluation. This was a blessing in disguise, because if he'd had the heart attack outside of a medical setting, he would have died within 48 hours.

Victor had shortness of breath the day before his heart attack and went to the Emergency Room, where Annie joined him. The ER physicians observed concerning abnormalities pointing to an evolving "cardiac event" and admitted him to the hospital overnight. He was scheduled for diagnostic tests and a coronary angiogram the next day. They identified an aggravating condition called diabetes ketoacidosis, which is a life-threatening problem in itself.  

After Victor's heart attack, we were transferred to a larger hospital, UWMC-Montlake, to access a wider range of equipment and expertise.  There the Cardiology team put in three stents and cleaned his heart valves from blockages.  They expected that his condition would improve within 3 hours, but things did not get better. The cardiologists recommended that Victor go on life support because his heart muscle tissue was weakened by the cardiogenic shock.  Whereas the normal amount of blood pumped out with each heartbeat ranges from 55% to 70%,  Victor's left ventricle ejection fraction was just 5-10%.

The care team says it is Victor's youth and right side of his heart that is keeping him alive.  These factors are supported by ECMO, a heart-lung bypass system that uses a pump to circulate blood through an artificial lung back into the bloodstream. Along with an impella catheter, ECMO is helping pump and circulate blood throughout his body while allowing Victor's heart time to rest and heal. 

If you pray, please pray that:

- Victor's heart would strengthen so he can come off life support and avoid some of the advanced heart failure therapies (i.e. heart transplant).

- If a transplant is needed, pray that we would gain the favor of those selecting recipients for the transplant list. 

- If we are not selected for the list, please pray for a complete miracle (heart muscle expansion) so that we can access another therapy. 

- Pray that Vivian, who is Victor and Annie's daughter (8 years old), would be comforted and shepherded during this uncertain time. 

Many of you have asked for some ways to help. A meal train and other ideas to support Vivian are available from the "Ways to Help" button on this site. 

Thank you for your love and support,
The Kuo Family