John, how did you decide on dr el hamamsy and dr stelzer? Or did you meet both?
John Olson A cardiologist highly recommended Dr El-Hamamsy based on experience and another surgeon suggested I t ... Read more
John Olson A cardiologist highly recommended Dr El-Hamamsy based on experience and another surgeon suggested I talk to Dr El-Hamamsy about whether I was a suitable candidate for a Ross Procedure. Dr Stelzer I am sure is equally excellent but his name did not come up in my discussions. (I did call his office to see if he were a possibility but it did not progress from there.) If you decide on Ross it is important to go to a hospital where they do a high volume of such surgeries and have well established/ tested protocols. Mt Sinai does a very high volume and everyone (doctors, nurses, techs etc) is well-familiar with the care of Ross patients. Another consideration I had was how many surgeries a given doctor has completed. Every surgical procedure has a learning curve ( just like any other hand skill ) the more it is practiced the better the outcome. For the Ross which is technically very demanding one estimate put the learning curve at between 75-100 surgeries, going with a surgeon with fewer under his or her belt might put you at greater risk for adverse complications. Both Dr El-Hamamsy and Dr Stelzer have completed hundreds and hundreds of Ross surgeries and the outcomes of those surgeries are mostly published (and they are good). That in a nutshell is how ended up in New York. This is just my experience which I hope is a helpful to you, you may however come to very different conclusions. I do think if you are still interested in the Ross it is worth at least consulting with either Dr Stelzer or Dr El-Hamamsy. Good luck!
John, thanks so much. Did you go over what options exist after Ross (ie 20-25 yrs out)? Interested in what they said - realizing might be different ...Read more
John, thanks so much. Did you go over what options exist after Ross (ie 20-25 yrs out)? Interested in what they said - realizing might be different for my son, but just want to get done insight.
John Olson Hi Susan, just saw your question today and it is a good one, maybe the biggest one with the Ross Proc ... Read more
John Olson Hi Susan, just saw your question today and it is a good one, maybe the biggest one with the Ross Procedure. As I am sure you know the Ross Procedure puts both the aortic valve and pulmonary valve at risk for reoperation. My understanding is there is a chance a failed pulmonary valve (homograft) could be replaced using a less invasive catheter approach but a failed aortic valve (autograft) would likely require another complex OHS; published stats on these Ross reoperation outcomes are quite varied depending on the surgeon reporting and the patients’ histories. I am much older than your son so my view is different than his when it comes to reoperation, Another factor I considered is that 20-25 years could be significant in terms of cardiac surgery evolution/advancement. It is a TOUGH choice deciding between the different valve options, I wish you the best! John
I am from: Boston
