{"id":34365,"date":"2020-09-23T09:00:14","date_gmt":"2020-09-23T15:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=34365"},"modified":"2023-06-23T10:36:09","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T16:36:09","slug":"perfect-antidote-to-congenital-heart-defect-running","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/perfect-antidote-to-congenital-heart-defect-running\/","title":{"rendered":"The perfect antidote to a congenital heart defect: running"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Matt
When Matt Johnston learned as a young adult that he had been born with a heart defect, his doctor encouraged him to take up running. He worked up to marathons and now has taken up trail running during the pandemic. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Matt Johnston was born with a heart defect<\/a>, but never knew he had one until a physical in college.<\/p>\n

The doctor did an EKG and asked how long Matt had had a heart murmur.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat heart murmur?\u201d Matt responded.<\/p>\n

He later saw a specialist who cares for children and adults with congenital heart defects.<\/a>\u00a0Dr. Amber Khanna <\/a>practices at both UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital<\/a> and Children\u2019s Hospital Colorado<\/a> on the Anschutz Medical Campus<\/a> in Aurora.<\/p>\n

When Matt asked Khanna how he could best stay healthy despite his heart condition, she gave him an answer that surprised him: \u201cRun.\u201d<\/p>\n

That advice would change the course of Matt\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

Born with a heart defect: Initially, the idea of running sounded ‘terrible’<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Matt wasn\u2019t a couch potato. But, he hadn\u2019t exactly been training for the Olympics either. He had grown up playing soccer, but he wasn\u2019t a big fan of running.<\/p>\n

The thought of seriously taking up the sport intimidated him. But Khanna told him that keeping his heart healthy could postpone the heart valve surgery he would someday need.<\/p>\n

\"running
At first, the idea of running with a heart defect sounded terrible to Matt Johnston. Then, he fell in love with the sport and started running in races, like this one in Canyonlands National Park. Photo courtesy of Matt Johnston.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As fate would have it, Matt\u2019s aunt was into running. She was doing a half-marathon in Las Vegas about three months later, and when Matt shared his doctor\u2019s thoughts with her, she immediately signed Matt up to run the race.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most I had ever run was two miles. The thought of running further was terrible,\u201d Matt recalled.<\/p>\n

He was then 23 and \u201cnot fit at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, his aunt gave him a training guide for half marathons and he reluctantly followed it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was miserable. There were nights when I would work late. I\u2019d have to get on the treadmill at work. I knew I had to train, but it definitely was not my favorite thing,\u201d said Matt, now 31.<\/p>\n

Then, an unexpected thing happened. He made it to Las Vegas, did the race and toward the end, felt a jolt of joy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow. I really want to do this again,\u201d he thought to himself.<\/p>\n

\"born
At first, Matt Johnston hated running. Then, he fell in love with the sport. He runs in all seasons and until the pandemic, Matt combined his love of travel and running with marathons around the world. Here, he stretches before a winter run at Denver’s City Park. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Matt became hooked on running and since has done marathons and other races around the world. He loves traveling and running. Fusing the two passions has kept him healthy while taking him to beautiful places.<\/p>\n

And, inspired by his mom, a retired Army nurse, Matt is now a traveling nurse who manages operating rooms around the U.S. His current assignment has him back in his hometown of Denver, where he\u2019s working at Children\u2019s Hospital Colorado.<\/p>\n

Matt had hoped to run a marathon in October in Dublin, Ireland. But the pandemic has forced the cancellation of nearly all races. To stay fit and motivated now, Matt has taken up trail running.<\/p>\n

\"Matt
Matt Johnston had been running marathons around the world until the pandemic limited travel and forced the cancellation of nearly all races. Now Matt is an avid trail runner. On crowded trails, he runs with a mask. He wants to protect others who may have pre-existing conditions, like he does. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He credits his medical team with keeping him alive and helping him finding meaning in his life.<\/p>\n

First, there was the doctor who found the heart defect.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s crazy. If I hadn\u2019t been diagnosed, within a few years, it probably would have killed me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then, Khanna supported a love of running and has been keeping Matt healthy for years.<\/p>\n

More recently, Matt needed surgery for his heart defect. That\u2019s when he turned to Dr. T. Brett Reece<\/a>, a cardiothoracic surgeon at University of Colorado Hospital. He\u2019s also a professor of surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and director of the Thoracic Aortic Program<\/a>, one of the top-rated heart surgery programs in the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the best there is,\u201d Matt said of Reece. \u201cThe heart team is second to none.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last October, Reece implanted a mechanical valve to replace Matt\u2019s faulty valve and now, his outlook is excellent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a good chance I won\u2019t need surgery again for the rest of my life,\u201d Matt said.<\/p>\n

Ten surgeries before age 10<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Never needing another surgery would be especially welcome because Matt came into the world requiring more than his share of medical attention.<\/p>\n

Along with the heart defect, Matt was born with a cleft palate, which causes a hole in the roof of the mouth.<\/p>\n

\"Matt
Matt Johnston was born with a cleft palate and needed 10 surgeries before age 10. Photo courtesy of Matt Johnston.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cFrom newborn to age 10, I probably had 10 surgeries,\u201d Matt said.<\/p>\n

He doesn\u2019t remember the first ones.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut my last few were a little rough,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Still, the experiences forged his personality and his career.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it made me stronger, especially being an OR nurse. For a couple of years, I did organ transplant surgeries. You have to have a thick skin. It\u2019s a very stressful environment,\u201d Matt said.<\/p>\n

He had his childhood surgeries at Children\u2019s, where he is now working.<\/p>\n

Getting to help children with medical challenges has brought Matt a deep sense of mission and gratitude.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love working in pediatrics. I see myself in a lot of my patients,\u201d Matt said. \u201cI\u2019ve become a better nurse. My surgery reminded me what the process is like for patients.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople see my scar. I know what it\u2019s like. I can tell patients, \u2018you\u2019re going to be ok.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Heart valve defect causes blood to flow the wrong way<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Dr. Khanna first saw Matt in 2012, about a year after he learned about his heart defect.<\/p>\n

He had what\u2019s known as a bicuspid aortic valve, a defect that often runs in families.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the most common type of heart defect. It affects 1-to-2% of the population,\u201d Khanna said.<\/p>\n

\"profile
Dr. Amber Khanna has treated Matt Johnston for years for a congenital heart defect. She surprised Matt by encouraging him to run. Photo by UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Aortic valves allow oxygen-rich blood to flow from the heart to the aorta. Valves are made of strong, thin flaps of tissue called leaflets. It\u2019s normal to have three leaflets, but people like Matt are born with just two of the three leaflets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe defect causes different things in different people,\u201d Khanna said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes, the valve works fine. Sometimes it opens nice and wide and seals shut tight. Matt\u2019s problem was with leaking. The aortic door opened, but didn\u2019t shut well. When his heart was pumping, it worked fine. But when the heart relaxes and collects more blood from the lungs, blood was backing up from his aorta into the heart,\u201d Khanna said. \u201cIt makes it inefficient to pump. The heart has to work harder to deal with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

When doctors listen to a patient\u2019s heart, they can hear the blood flowing backwards.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the murmur.<\/p>\n

\u201cA murmur just means that we hear blood flowing,\u201d Khanna said.<\/p>\n

People can live with leaky heart valves for many years. That\u2019s what Matt did until he recently needed surgery.<\/p>\n

\u201cEventually, the extra work puts a strain on the heart. It gets bigger and bigger and this enlargement may cause permanent damage,\u201d Khanna said.<\/p>\n

She believes Matt\u2019s fitness helped him postpone necessary heart valve surgery for years.<\/p>\n

Is it safe to run with a heart defect?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Many people assume that physical exertion is dangerous for people with heart defects.<\/p>\n

In fact, the opposite can be true.<\/p>\n

\u201cPhysical activity absolutely is helpful,\u201d Khanna said. \u201cIt\u2019s good to make your heart work. Aerobic exercise is really good for the heart muscle. Everybody should move for at least 30-45 minutes a day.\u201d<\/p>\n

After closely monitoring Matt for years, Khanna last spring said it was time for Matt to have surgery.<\/p>\n

She knew it would be tough. All heart surgeries are difficult. But young athletes like Matt do better.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis level of physical fitness going into surgery made a world of difference in how well he recovered,\u201d Khanna said<\/p>\n

A necessary surgery to fix a heart defect. Thanks to running, a great outcome.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Matt had worked in the ORs at University of Colorado Hospital and long had admired Reece, who works closely with Khanna.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur multidisciplinary team is critical to all of this,\u201d Reece said. \u201cDr. Khanna and I are on the same page. That makes it so much easier. We would have loved to have saved Matt\u2019s native valve. Our goal for every one of these aortic patients is to keep their valve as long as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"profile
Dr. Brett Reece. Photo by UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Matt, however, was at risk for an aortic rupture.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe outcomes of dealing with that emergently are 10-fold worse,\u201d Reece said. \u201cAny time we can do this surgery preemptively, compared to an emergency operation, is much better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Medical experts don\u2019t know exactly why the aorta becomes so large when people have the kind of heart defect Matt has, Reece said.<\/p>\n

What is clear is that it\u2019s not working the way it should.<\/p>\n

Reece said to picture a house with a mudroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe aortic root is like the mudroom,\u201d Reece said.<\/p>\n

The valve is like the door into that room, but it doesn\u2019t have the proper flat shape that a door should.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, it doesn\u2019t close as well as it should,\u201d Reece said. \u201cMost people tolerate (this imperfection) pretty well until they don\u2019t. They fall off the edge once they start having symptoms.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Matt
Matt Johnston knew he would someday need heart valve surgery. He put it off for years by staying fit and running, An OR nurse, Johnston chose his team at University of Colorado Hospital and recovered well thanks to his fitness going into surgery. Photo courtesy of Matt Johnston.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And that can be very dangerous. Between 10 and 20% of people whose aortas rupture die, Reece said.<\/p>\n

Matt had postponed surgery as long as possible and thankfully, it went perfectly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was very straightforward,\u201d Reece said. \u201cMy philosophy is to get in and out as quickly as I can, without cutting any corners.\u201d<\/p>\n

Patients do best when they are on a heart bypass machine for as little time as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cMatt was on the bypass for less than an hour-and-a-half, which is the shortest it can be,\u201d Reece said.<\/p>\n

His fitness made the surgery easier and also improved Matt\u2019s recovery, Reece said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has no limitations. The mechanical valve should last for the rest of his life,\u201d Reece said.<\/p>\n

While he\u2019s impressed with Matt\u2019s recovery, Reece expected nothing less.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s very motivated and determined. He\u2019s figured out ways to achieve his goals,\u201d Reece said.<\/p>\n

Had the pandemic not interfered, Reece said it would have been totally reasonable for Matt to run a marathon later this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about a person\u2019s mindset more than anything else,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Running marathons around the world<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Following that first Las Vegas half-marathon back in 2012, Matt did similar races in Tucson, Moab and Albuquerque and started nursing school in the spring of 2013.<\/p>\n

By 2016, he had graduated to full marathons.<\/p>\n

\"Matt
Because running kept Matt Johnston so healthy, he recovered very well after surgery. Here, he shows his scar. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He did his first at Disney World in<\/a> January of 2016. Soon after, he ran the Chicago Marathon<\/a>, then in November 2017, ran one of his favorites so far: the New York City Marathon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was amazing. You start at Staten Island and run through all five boroughs. You draw inspiration from the other runners, but also from the crowds. It\u2019s a city that absolutely embraces the race,\u201d Matt said.<\/p>\n

That year, one of Matt\u2019s running heroes, Shalene Flanagan<\/a>, became the first American woman to win the New York City Marathon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The following September, Matt ran the Berlin Marathon<\/a>, another all-time favorite since Eliud Kipchoge<\/a> set a new world record time of 2:01:39.<\/p>\n

\"running
Matt Johnston, running at one of his favorite races, the Berlin Marathon. Photo courtesy of Matt Johnston.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI\u2019m super proud that I was running that race with him. I was warming up next to him and joked, \u2018You\u2019re running kind of slow today.\u2019 He smirked and ran away.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Matt finished his race, the announcers congratulated all the runners: \u201cYou\u2019re now running on a world-record course.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matt was especially thrilled because he ran that race to support Smile Train<\/a>. The group raises money to provide surgeries for children with cleft lips and palates.<\/p>\n

By May of 2019, Khanna suggested he schedule his surgery soon.<\/p>\n

Matt squeezed in one last pre-surgery race and earned his best time ever: 1:27 at the Missoula Half Marathon.<\/p>\n

Matt went into the surgery feeling nervous, but hopeful.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything went flawlessly,\u201d Matt said.<\/p>\n

As he woke up, he looked at the clock and saw that it was only 1 p.m. That was hours earlier than expected. He knew the surgery must have gone well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was shocked and so happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Matt
Matt Johnston poses in a shirt from one of his favorite races: the New York City Marathon. He looks forward to the day when he can travel and do marathons around the world again. In the meantime, running in Colorado’s beautiful mountains keeps Matt healthy and happy. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The recovery was not easy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a struggle even to stand up at first,\u201d Matt said. \u201cThe next day, they had me walk. I made it five feet and was out of breath, then eight or 10 feet. It was just a progression. I\u2019d do a little more and a little more.\u201d<\/p>\n

About five weeks after surgery, Matt tried jogging a short distance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could only go for 30 or 45 seconds,\u201d he said. \u201cBut, that was probably the best moment of my recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n

These days, Matt is running six to eight miles on mountainous trails with a lot of elevation gain. He does all of this while wearing a mask because he wants to respect others who also might have underlying health conditions and could be more vulnerable to getting severely ill from COVID-19.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish people would wear a mask any time they are not able to socially distance,\u201d Matt said. \u201cI\u2019m doing the best I can to focus on being healthy and respecting others.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the trails are more crowded than ever, Matt has discovered that he loves running on trails.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m having the best time of my recovery,\u201d Matt said. \u201cAll of the work I\u2019ve put in since my recovery has really started to show.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Dublin Marathon has been postponed until 2021. Assuming the pandemic is under control, Matt plans to be there.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether it\u2019s your first race or your millionth, you always meet random people who inspire you.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou tell each other: \u2018Congrats. Let\u2019s go knock this out.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI love that sense of community.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Matt Johnston was born with a heart defect, but never knew he had one until a physical in college. The doctor did an EKG and asked how long Matt had had a heart murmur. \u201cWhat heart murmur?\u201d Matt responded. He later saw a specialist who cares for children and adults with congenital heart defects.\u00a0Dr. Amber […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2123,"featured_media":34524,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[9046,4859,4860,253,3512,3300,9187],"class_list":["post-34365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-adult-congenital-heart-disease","tag-coronavirus","tag-covid-19","tag-health-and-fitness","tag-heart-and-vascular-care-cardiovascular","tag-heart-surgery-treatments","tag-readysetco"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe perfect antidote to a congenital heart defect: running - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Matt was born with a heart defect. 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