Adam's Heart Valve Surgery Blog – Page 45

The Internet never ceases to amaze me…

We recently launched a new section of this website that contains our heart valve surgery videos. I just learned that, in a very short time, the number of playbacks has soared to over 19,000 views. If you were unaware of these videos, they feature your questions which are asked directly to leading heart valve surgeons.

Dr. Shemin and Adam Answer Your Questions At STS

While I’m terrible in front of a camera, the information shared through these videos is incredible. Thanks to all the surgeons — including Dr. Adams, Dr. Gillinov, Dr. Cohn, Dr. McCarthy, Dr. Gerdisch, Dr. Smith, Dr. Shemin, Dr. Stewart, Dr. Accola, Dr. Khan, Dr. Starnes, Dr. Svensson, etc. — for taking the time to help develop these videos.

• To see our heart valve videos, please click here.

Keep on tickin!
Adam

Sato sent me a very interesting question about bicuspid aortic valve repair. He writes, “Hi Adam – I’m 61. I’ve been diagnosed with bicuspid aortic valve and severe regurgitation. I’ve been told a repair is possible. During surgery, does the bicuspid aortic valve become a tricuspid valve?”

While at the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons conference, I was able to ask Sato’s question to Dr. Lars Svensson, MD, the Director of the Aorta Program at The Cleveland Clinic. As you may know, Dr. Svensson, is highly regarded for his work with bicuspid aortic valves.

Thanks to Sato for his question and a special thanks to Dr. Lars Svensson for sharing his clinical research with our community. To learn more about Dr. Svensson and his patients, please click here.

For those of you who are hearing impaired, I have provided a transcript of this interview below…

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As a follow-up to our recent discussion about chest pain and sternum wires, Jane sent me a great question about incision closure techniques. She writes, “Hi Adam – I’ve read good and bad things about the use of wires to close the sternum.  Are there any other technologies used to help the chest heal? Thanks, Jane”

Luckily, I was able to ask this exact question to Dr. Jai Raman, the Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Rush University Medical Center, in Chicago, Illinois. I thought you might like to see the interview highlights from our discussion about a new technology called sternal plating.

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As Jim, Sara & Chris prepare for heart valve surgery this week, I wanted them to know that my thoughts are with them and their families.

To learn about their stories, please visit their Heart Valve Journals by clicking the links below:

• Jim Davis is having surgery for a bicuspid aortic valve and dilated aortic root
• Sara Sayle is having surgery for a bicuspid aortic valve
• Chris Hanson is having surgery for severe mitral regurgitation

Keep on tickin’ Jim, Sara & Chris!
Adam

As many of you know, I encourage all patients to participate in a cardiac rehabilitation program following heart valve surgery. Research shows that the physical and emotional benefits for patients attending post-operative cardiac rehab classes are significant but often under-utilized.

That said, here is a great update from Dave Hooper. (You might recall that I featured Dave in a prior post following his aortic valve replacement surgery.)

Dave Hooper At Cardiac Rehab

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Time for your heart valve trivia of the day… Here’s the question:

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Great news everybody!

Thanks to your support… Our free online surgeon directory has grown over 100% in the past three months. Right now, we have 1,250+ recommendations provided by former heart valve surgery patients. If you have yet to visit the Heart Valve Surgeon Finder, simply click here.

So you know, our community of patients and caregivers created this tool eighteen months ago to help future patients find trusted surgeons quickly. Again, thanks so much for your help advancing this cause. As we all know, finding the “right” surgeon to perform your surgery is critical. I know there is a lot more work to be done… But, I’m hopeful this tool is easing that process.

Keep on tickin!
Adam

Lately, there have been a lot of patient comments and questions posted about pregnancy and heart valve disease. To extend this discussion, I wanted to share with you a fantastic email I just received from Sara Bloomfield. Sara writes to me:

Sara & Matt Bloomfield (Chicago, Illinois)

I have a bicuspid aortic valve, dilated aortic root, and coarctation of the descending aorta. Like many other women with valve conditions that are hoping to have children, pregnancy has been an ongoing topic with my cardiologist throughout my life. The conversation was left open after each visit as it would depend on the state of my heart at the time I was ready to have a baby.  After getting married last year, my husband and I were ready to address this.  Based on the function of my valve and root, I am considered to be in the “grey zone” for pregnancy.

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Jenny just sent me a very interesting question about surgical approaches for heart valve repair. She writes, “Dear Adam – I was just diagnosed with severe mitral regurgitation. I have regular degenerative mitral valve prolapse. An annuloplasty valve ring has been recommended as well. I’m thinking of having a mini-sternotomy and wondering what the risks are compared to a full sternotomy? Are there any other approaches that might be advantageous for me? Thanks, Jenny”

Mini-Sternotomy For Heart Valve Surgery

To provide Jenny with an expert opinion, I contacted Dr. Harold Roberts, a leading heart valve surgeon, from WVU Medicine in West Virginia.

Dr. Harold Roberts – Heart Valve Surgeon

So you know, during his 25+ year career, Dr. Roberts has performed over 3,500 heart valve procedures. Here is Dr. Roberts’ response to Jenny’s question:

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A few months ago, I received a phone call from Denise Ring, a patient suffering from severe mitral valve regurgitation. From the moment we spoke, I sensed Denise’s nerves, her anxiety and her fear given prior health challenges. Over the next few weeks, we corresponded by phone and by email leading right up to her surgery. (To learn more about mitral regurgitation, click here.)

Good news! Two weeks after surgery, I received an inspirational voice-mail from Denise. I have to admit, I did not recognize Denise’s voice. Her energy and her positive outlook in the message was overwhelming. As she exclaimed during the message, “I can’t believe it. Surgery went great. I’m starting to feel like the old me.”

Denise Ring – Mitral Valve Repair Patient

I would later receive this email from Denise:

Dear Adam —

I’m feeling fantastic! Dr. Accola performed a mitral valve repair for me only 12 short weeks ago. This amazing surgeon is a truly gifted man. He is not only highly skilled but also sincerely concerned about the well-being of his patients. I was actually caught off guard by his compassion and calm but confident demeanor.

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As many of you know… I’m a technology enthusiast. In fact, I’m often referred to as a “tech geek” by my friends — always playing around with the latest gadgets and software.

Specific to heart valve treatment, my interest in medical technology is similarly high. Today, much of the tech-excitement is centered on transcatheter, sutureless and leaflet exchange technology. However, I’m still fascinated by the utility of robotic devices for procedures including mitral valve repair procedures. (To learn more about mitral valve repair surgery, click here.)

Da Vinci Surgical Robot

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Thanks to all of you who continue to ask for the latest Ethan update!

As you can see, our little 2-year old, is getting ready for football season. Like his dad, Ethan is a Michigan Wolverine fan. He already has the “Go Blue!” fist pump ready for the opener next Saturday.

Ethan Pick Readies For Football Saturday

But, in all seriousness, Ethan is thriving. He’s talking non-stop and going through the early stages of… potty training! Robyn, my wife, and I are exhausted. However, we are having the time of our lives watching him grow up.

Keep on tickin!
Adam

I just received a very interesting question from Jake about chest pain, sternum wires and heart valve surgery.

Jake writes to me, “Dear Adam – It’s been 2 years since my aortic valve replacement operation. While my heart is doing great, I still have a very sensitive incision. There are spots along my sternum that, if I press on, cause a shot of pain. My chest also hurts if I twist in odd ways. Is it possible that the sternum wires are causing this discomfort. If so, can I get them taken out? Is that a big procedure? Thanks! Jake”

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It is one of the best moments of my day.

I click on an unopened email to find a touching patient success story. This inspirational note comes from Dr. Jeff Pirofsky who just celebrated his one-year anniversary from a mitral valve repair operation. Jeff writes to me:

Dr. Jeff Pirofsky – Mitral Valve Repair Patient

Dear Adam –

I just wanted to thank you for all the help that you gave me last year.

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Over the years, I’ve received several patient testimonials for Dr. Steven Bolling. While I had never met Dr. Bolling, I was fortunate to attend his lecture, “Mitral Valve Repair Predictability” at the Mitral Conclave. I found many elements of his presentation VERY important for patients facing heart valve surgery. That said, I was lucky to meet with Dr. Bolling to discuss his findings.

Thanks to Dr. Steven Bolling, heart surgeon, for taking the time to share his research with us. So you know, Dr. Bolling is the director of The Mitral Valve Center at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. During his 27-year career, Dr. Bolling has performed over 8,000 cardiac operations — with over 2,500 procedures involving the mitral valve.

For the members of our community that are hearing impaired, I have provided a written transcript of this video interview with Dr. Bolling below.

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Within our patient and caregiver community, there is great excitement about transcatheter aortic valve replacement technology. These non-invasive approaches for aortic stenosis treatment are often described with adjectives including revolutionary and transformational.

Edwards SAPIEN Heart Valve Replacement

I wanted to relay new information about the FDA approval process for one of these percutaneous devices, the SAPIEN aortic valve replacement by Edwards Lifesciences. This valve, which does not require an incision to the sternum or ribs for implant, received two favorable votes from an advisory panel of cardiologists which reviewed its most recent clinical trial:

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I just received an insightful email from Mildred Burns. At 83, Mildred was facing congestive heart failure and desperately needed an aortic valve replacement. I thought you might appreciate reading these encouraging words from Mildred about fear, a second heart surgery and quality of life…

Mildred Burns, 83, with Dr. Junaid Khan

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It’s an honor to shine our surgeon spotlight on Dr. Kevin Accola, a leading heart valve surgeon who practices at the Florida Hospital Cardiovascular Institute.

I first met Dr. Accola in 2008. I called Dr. Accola after several of his patients emailed me their fantastic success stories. During our chat, I quickly learned that Dr. Accola is a super nice guy and a very accomplished surgeon. As you can read on Dr. Accola’s surgeon profile, he has performed over 7,400 cardiac procedures and over 2,400 heart valve operations. Mitral valve repair is one of Dr. Accola’s specialties.

Over the years, I have become very familiar with many of Dr. Accola’s patients including Donna Wilson, Scott Niemen, Misti Blue and Denise Ring. Dr. Accola’s patients often use words like “warm”, “calm”, “humble”, “caring” and “confident” to describe his personality.

For example, Duane Hunt, a recent mitral valve repair patient, recently shared with me…

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I am consistently inspired by the patients and caregivers that make-up this community.

For example… I just learned that the Rogers family, from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, recently held a fundraiser to raise awareness for Heart Valve Journals, our social network, and our charitable efforts.  As you might know, Michael Rogers, 18, underwent pulmonary heart valve replacement surgery on June 2, 2011.

In a journal posted yesterday, Linda Rogers, Michael’s mother, writes, “It seems like just yesterday I began this Journal so that we could keep our dear family and friends updated on Michael’s progress through the surgery and recovery period. It’s been 35 days since Michael’s surgery and we’re so thankful and blessed that he is doing great!”

“Lemon-Aid” At The Rogers 4th of July Golf Cart Parade

As for their charitable support of HeartValveJournals.com, Linda writes:

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Hi everybody,

If you are searching for answers to questions about heart valve disease, I encourage you to attend, “Heart Valve Disease”, a live interactive chat with Dr. Thomas and Dr. Sabik from the Cleveland Clinic.

During this unique, one-hour event several topics specific to valvular disorders, including aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation, will be discussed. Here is a quick summary of the event along with registration instructions.

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