February 9, 2026
Six months later: a new lease of life for Olivier Desjardins
Impacts de vos dons
Last July, thanks to the expertise of a specialized team from the CHUS, Olivier Desjardins became the first in Quebec to benefit from the BATMAN surgical technique, a collective innovation supported by European and Canadian specialists. The operation, which took place at the Fleurimont Hospital, consisted in implanting a prosthesis at the level of the mitral valve by catheter. Six months later, the 86-year-old patient is doing great, with a solid heart and a head full of projects.
Here, the expression “the important thing is to have a young heart” makes perfect sense. At 86, Olivier Desjardins believes he still has many years ahead of him. He owes this new chapter to Dr. Étienne Couture and his team. Because of heart failure, Mr. Desjardins had to undergo surgery, but the conventional technique was too risky for the patient who had already undergone open heart surgery in 2018. The BATMAN technique was then proposed to him.
“Even though it was a first in Quebec (and a second in Canada), I had confidence in Dr. Couture and his team. I was not afraid. It must be said that I was at the point where it had to be done. My heart was malfunctioning and water was collecting on my lungs. I had trouble climbing the stairs, I was constantly looking for my breath, and it was very painful. I was giving myself four or five months to live.”
A new impetus and a wealth of projects
While the fact that the BATMAN technique is new may raise some concerns, its benefits are undeniable: faster recovery, increased safety for vulnerable people, and especially the possibility of returning to an active life. “To make a comparison, after my operation in 2018, it took me at least a month before I felt better, but with the BATMAN technique, I felt good quickly and I was able to leave the hospital the same evening! People around me were amazed at how fast it was! ”
This intervention was the new impetus he needed to continue living his projects to the fullest. Operated in July 2025, he was already on the road in a recreational vehicle a few weeks later, in the company of his 93-year-old spouse Nicole. Other trips are planned for the “young” couple.
“Next summer, we will spend it traveling in an RV in Quebec and Ontario. Then, in September, I planned to visit my grandson in Yukon, and I will take the opportunity to discover Vancouver,” says Mr. Desjardins, who has three children and four grandchildren.
Passionate about politics, reading and good wine, Mr. Desjardins had a long career as a teacher, from elementary school to college. Upon retirement, he chose to continue teaching at the university of the third age. He officially retired from school recently. “I would still have the energy, but I think that at 86, maybe it's time for me to think about myself.”
Mr. Desjardins does not hide his gratitude to those who allowed him to regain this quality of life. “A huge thank you to Dr. Étienne Couture and his team! I had not finished what I had to do on Earth. I still have a lot of projects to do and without this operation, it would not have been possible. Medicine has evolved so much: it's impressive and above all reassuring! ”
Dr. Étienne Couture, currently the only specialist in Quebec to practice the BATMAN technique, performed a new procedure on another patient last December, which was also successful. He said he was contacted by hospitals in Halifax and St. John's, New Brunswick, in order to obtain more information about this innovative surgical procedure.
This intervention was carried out in the new hemodynamic room inaugurated in 2023, thanks to a major donation from the CHUS Foundation. The Foundation also warmly thanks Gisèle and Émilien Bolduc for their exceptional contribution, which allows the cardiology team at the CHUS in Fleurimont to have facilities at the cutting edge of technology.
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