Jennifer's Guestbook

Jennifer Hunter  Hi Susan! Thanks for the welcome message! Was your incision the 4 inch side incision or top of chest between ribs?
Where did you have it done?
(Any post with the word "painless" in it is a delight! Lol.

Susan Lynn  Jennifer - Dr. Scott Goldman at Lankenau's Heart Pavilion, just outside of Philadelphia, performed my surgery. By doing my own research, and seeing this attached YouTube video, I scheduled an appointment and was so impressed, I knew he and his team were exactly the right choice for me. I considered and spoke to surgeons who did all forms of entry including full robotic, mini and full sternotomies, and this procedure, the mini-thoractomy across the country and knew definitively that Dr. Goldman was the one. Samantha, the Nurse Case Navigator, who works for Dr. Goldman is nothing short of amazing! She is responsive and incredibly patient-driven. I have never experienced such exceptional service anywhere! The Lankenau Heart Pavilion is now only about 6 years old and it's like a hotel! All private rooms in the CICU, quiet, incredible beds, and a nursing staff that is second to none. Your family members can even stay 24/7 with a pull-out bed in the room. Btw, after my great experience, my cardiologist (who originally referred me to the University of Pennsylvania) now refers all his patients to Lankenau.
By the way, my incision is about 2 1/2 inches long (I can barely see it now) and was strategically hidden along the crease of my right breast. This entry also requires an incision in the groin which my surgeon also hid in the crease above my right thigh. Cosmetics are waaaaaay down the list of concerns when you're having surgery, but these approaches were added bonuses for me. I also think it's a lot easier to face recovery when you're not staring at a scar every day. (Most days, I forget I even had surgery!) The important items to me were: 1. One-time surgery and repair 2. Early extubation (I wanted to be off the breathing tube ASAP and I was.) 3. Short hospital stay (Checked in on Friday morning for surgery and was out by lunch time on Monday) 4. Quick recovery (I was tired, but able to do everything on my own from day two.) 5. No driving restriction (I didn't drive for a few weeks since it was the dead of winter in PA, but I could have if I necessary.) 6. No prescriptions in the long-term. (I was on several upon leaving the hospital, but was taken off everything in the weeks and months that followed. I don't take anything at all now.) If you want to chat in further detail, please send me your email and I'll provide my phone number. Good luck with your research!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaI9dUTRlm8

Jennifer Hunter  Your experience is very encouraging! Thanks for sharing. Im still getting a bunch of questions answered as this evolves. More later!