Deborah Hoekstra, a United Church minister, faced a grim diagnosis of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) after experiencing severe breathing difficulties. Initially misdiagnosed, her condition worsened due to persistent blood clots in her lungs.
Referred to the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute's Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic, Dr. Varghese identified Hoekstra's CTEPH. The clinic recently introduced a rare, life-saving pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) surgery, developed by a team trained in the United States with support from the University Hospital Foundation.
This complex procedure involves removing scar tissue from the lung arteries to restore blood flow. Dr. Steven Meyer led the team, performing the surgery on Hoekstra, who was the third patient to undergo the procedure locally. The Edmonton team is the first in Western Canada to offer PTE, significantly reducing the need for patients to travel to Toronto for treatment, a journey that was often financially burdensome or impossible.
Hoekstra underwent surgery in June 2025 and returned to full-time work by January 2026, a testament to the success of the local program. The initiative not only saves lives but also keeps patients closer to their support systems and reduces provincial healthcare costs.