Broken Heart Syndrome Unravelled

My encounter with one patient stood out particularly as I believe many people view the heart as a 'life force': the heart and its beat symbolise life. Therefore, I found it quite shocking that a patient had gone through emotions so strongly that the physical changes of Takoysubo* occurred within this vital organ.

I learnt about the power of listening to the patient's story and the emotional, personal impact on the patient in clinical encounters. If we had just looked at hospital notes, for example, we would have seen a brief hospital stay to treat cardiomyopathy, and not their surrounding situation, and just how much the event affected Imelda's life and wellbeing. It is so important not to assume, but to take the time to listen.

Instead of displaying the physiological changes of the heart in a takotsubo state in my creative piece, I wanted to both represent the emotional impact of Imelda's intense emotions leading up to Broken Heart Syndrome, and my responses to this patient's story.

Takotsubo is a type of cardiomyopathy; severe emotional stress causes the heart to balloon and become weakened, leading to severe chest pain. It is colloquially known as 'broken heart syndrome', as it is often felt after the death of a loved one, due to the emotional stress of that situation. During the acute phase of the disease, the left ventricle swells, and takes the shape of a 'tako-tsubo' (an octopus trap in Japanese). However, generally the patient recovers quickly, and there is no specific treatment for this syndrome.