Marcus's Guestbook

Ana Brusso  Congratulations and thank you for your service to our country and all of us. God bless you 🙏❤️❤️‍🩹🇺🇸

Adam Pick  In case you missed it, here is a video we just posted about new research specific to the Ross Procedure.  Very interesting outcome data... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMpNQHyl__I

Adam Pick  Fyi, we are getting ready to launch a new section of the website dedicated the Ross Procedure. Stay tuned!

Marcus Krauss  Thanks for the well-wishes, Max. If I recall my timeline, my regurgitation was trace and then mild through my 20s and into my early 30s. I may have been 34 or 35 when it progressed to moderate, and it stayed there until I was about 41 or 42, when it became severe. Even with severe regurgitation, my left ventricle didn't start enlarging for a few years, when I was 44, which was almost 2 years ago. It's tough to predict how this progresses, as it's not a linear relationship. That's why it's important to monitor your condition regularly. Your heart could go years without changing, and then all of the sudden degrade quickly. Or conversely, your heart could get worse, and then stop degrading and hold steady somewhere where surgery isn't yet needed.

Marcus Krauss  Thanks, Sher! I don't currently have an aneurysm, although my aortic root is slightly enlarged. The regurgitation has caused my left ventricle to enlarge, which is why I'm having the surgery. I'm getting a Ross Procedure, and part of that will include a Dacron graft to replace part of the aorta to prevent future expansion.

Marcus Krauss  Not necessarily, but having a bicuspid aortic valve can lead to one or more of several symptoms, to include regurgitation, stenosis, and the aorta enlarging, potentially to the point of becoming an aneurysm, which in some cases can lead to dissection.