Steve Strba credits a golf club pro with saving his life.
After Strba collapsed on a Toronto golf course in cardiac arrest - his heart stopping for seven minutes as he lay on the turf - it was the fast-acting golf club pro who performed CPR, even after the paramedics arrived, until a heartbeat was registered.
A year earlier, Strba was diagnosed with ventricular tachycardia (VT), a type of abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia, that can cause heart palpitations, dizziness and if left untreated, fatal sudden cardiac arrest.
Dr. Anthony Tang, a professor in Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry's Department of Medicine's Cardiology Division and a researcher at London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute (LHSCRI), is internationally recognized for his pioneering research in device therapy for arrhythmias and heart failure.
VT is typically caused by underlying substrates or scars from existing heart disease, Tang said. Treatments for VT include medications or invasive procedures, such as a catheter ablation to restore and maintain a normal heart rhythm.
"Despite these advances, patients with VT can still fail to respond to these treatments," said Tang. "Or worse, they may not be eligible because they may be too fragile to undergo a lengthy invasive procedure."
Now, he is working on a new solution for people living with VT.
The stereotactic arrhythmia radioablation (STAR) program, located at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), is an innovative, non-invasive approach to treating patients with VT. Like cancer radiation therapy, STAR uses advanced mapping and photon therapy to target the source of arrhythmia - on a moving heart - delivering a dose of radiation to break up the underlying substrate or scarring.
Studies indicate STAR effectively treats VT, however more research is needed to evaluate long-term effectiveness and develop better strategies to manage heart movement and breathing during treatment.
The STAR Program, a team made up of experts from Western and London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute. (L to R) Dr. Adam Mutsaers, radiation oncologist, Sarah Konermann, PhD student, Stewart Gaede, chief medical physicist, Aaron So, associate professor medical biophysics, Dr. Anthony Tang, cardiologist, Dr. Belal Ahmad, radiation oncologist and Dr. Peter Leong-Sit, cardiologist. (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
Thanks to a $1.35-million gift from the H₂HCo (Here to Help, Co.) Foundation, with which Strba and his wife Cathy Yantsis work very closely, Tang has assembled a team of world-leading experts in cardiac electrophysiology, cardiac imaging, medical biophysics and radiation oncology at Western and LHSCRI to test the safety and effectiveness of this improved technique.
"We are very fortunate to have the expertise in our university, our hospitals and research facilities, which is critical for the success of this program. It all comes together like kindling. The donors were the spark we needed to make the fire," said Tang.
He sees a future where the STAR procedure at LHSC will mean treating people like Strba in a safer, more effective and efficient manner with a one-day outpatient procedure. Patients with VT could be in and out of hospital and quickly return to their normal lives.
"Heart disease is the second leading cause of death in Canada, which means the immediacy of breakthroughs and innovations to save lives is incredibly real," said Dr. John Yoo, dean of Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. "We are tremendously grateful for H₂HCo's generous investment in Dr. Tang's arrhythmia research, which is a testament to the relentless innovation in cardiovascular medicine happening at our school, in our hospitals and in our city."
Strba, BSc'89, continues to lead an active lifestyle, despite his scare on the golf course two and a half years ago. He maintains his health through a holistic approach that includes medication, yoga, meditation and rowing-which he grew to love while studying chemistry at Western.
Steve Strba continues to lead an active lifestyle, despite experiencing cardiac arrest two years ago. (Submitted)
For Strba, the opportunity to be part of delivering safer and better treatment options to Canadians and people around the world living with VT is incredibly meaningful.
"It's not just about my story," Strba said. "Cathy and I are doing this to help so many other people in similar situations because we believe it's fundamental to care for each other, to care for our community."
"What Dr. Tang is doing is very exciting and very visionary, and it's amazing that it's happening in our own backyard."
