At 24, Kelsie Lathrop was told she had irreversible pulmonary hypertension caused by a “minor” hole in her heart. She followed her treatment plan faithfully, cycling through multiple advanced therapies — yet her health kept declining.

“My gut told me there was more to it,” Kelsie recalls.

Her instinct proved lifesaving. After pushing for repeat testing, Kelsie was eventually referred to cardiologist Shane Tsai, MD, and pulmonologist Tammy Wichman, MD, who lead the region’s only accredited clinic for adults with pulmonary hypertension and congenital heart disease.

“What’s unique about Nebraska Medicine is that our pulmonologists and cardiologists work together,” Dr. Wichman says. “Bringing both perspectives helps solve complex cases and makes a real difference in patient outcomes.” 

The right diagnosis

Together, Drs. Tsai and Wichman uncovered the truth: Kelsie had a large, unrepaired atrial septal defect (ASD), a congenital hole in the wall that separates the two upper chambers of the heart, which was driving her symptoms.

“When I first met Kelsie in 2019, she was on multiple advanced pulmonary hypertension therapies but still short of breath just walking up a flight of stairs,” Dr. Wichman says. “After a full workup, Dr. Tsai and I determined her condition could be treated differently.”

That reevaluation changed everything. Drs. Tsai and Wichman were able to wean Kelsie off the unnecessary therapies and pursue a curative approach once thought impossible.

“Dr. Tsai and I work together on complex cases like hers, and ultimately, we decided the best option was open-heart surgery,” Dr. Wichman explains.

For Kelsie, that plan brought a mix of fear and relief.

“It was overwhelming, but they explained things clearly and reassured me they were working with a whole team of specialists, and that gave me comfort,” she says.

Dr. Tsai stresses that this kind of collaboration is critical.

“We have advanced treatments and specialists in every field,” he says. “With a team like this, you can move quickly because you have many experts you can trust to craft the best plan for each patient. People travel here because they can’t find this level of care elsewhere.”

Surgery and setbacks

In 2020, Kelsie underwent open-heart surgery. But things didn’t go as planned.

“They discovered my heart was in worse shape than expected and had to pivot,” she says.

Complications left her intubated in the ICU for a week. Her care team lifted her spirits with small gestures, from arranging safe family visits to surprising her with a spa day.

Meanwhile, Dr. Tsai kept searching for answers.

“I couldn’t sleep knowing something wasn’t right,” he recalls.

New tests revealed the cause, and a second surgery corrected the problem.

“When they figured out what was wrong, the entire team cheered,” Kelsie says. “It felt like they were celebrating right along with me.”

Her recovery was immediate.

“It was like night and day,” she says. “I could finally do things that had been impossible before — like running.”

A chance to carry the child she never thought possible

When she received her initial diagnosis, Kelsie was told she’d never be able to have children. She and her husband adopted their son, believing it was their only path to parenthood. But after her surgeries, Dr. Tsai delivered different news.

“For the first time, I told Kelsie she was truly low risk,” he says. “That opened a door she had been told was closed her whole life.”

Encouraged by this, Kelsie became pregnant, and in November 2024, her daughter was born — almost exactly four years after her surgery.

“Being able to carry a child of my own was something I never thought possible,” she says.

Hope for patients across the region

Kelsie’s story shows how the right expertise and a team that refuses to give up can rewrite even the scariest diagnoses.

“Kelsie was originally told her condition was irreversible, but after careful reevaluation, we identified the true cause, weaned her off unnecessary therapies and sent her for surgery she was told was never an option,” Dr. Tsai says.

For Kelsie, that collaboration was life-changing.

“To be here today, raising my children, it’s nothing short of a miracle,” she says. “With Nebraska Medicine, I wasn’t just another patient. Everyone truly cared, and that made all the difference.”

Looking for a heart specialist? Visit NebraskaMed.com/Heart.