Destry's Photos

Andrew Venuto  Destry, I went to The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano and saw Dr. Smith. I had a Barlow valve which he successfully repaired robotically. I know of others on this forum that have had "Barlow Style" mitral valves successfully repaired by Dr. Smith. I highly recommend him.

Destry LeBrun  Thank you Andrew. It's encouraging to hear from people like yourself who's surgeon used the robotic-assisted approach.

Destry LeBrun  Andrew, Do you know if there are certain criteria that Dr.'s use to determine if the robotic approach is advantages? Does the patient have input in the decision?

Andrew Venuto  You're welcome! Destry, are you asking if there are criteria to determine whether robotic or traditional sternotomy will result in a better outcome? If so, I don't know the answer to that. I do know that excellent outcomes in robotic surgery have a lot to do with the skill and experience of the surgeon (as does mitral repair in general). You want to find a surgeon that does many of these surgeries each year. My surgeon told me that the probability that he could successfully repair my valve (and do it robotically) was very high--however, he also said that there are never any guarantees, and there is always the possibility(even if very small), of sternotomy or valve replacement. Also, my understanding is that there are some types of heart surgeries that still have to be performed traditionally. Barlow style valves are more complex in nature and can be more challenging to repair. That is why if you have that type of valve problem, you want to go to a mitral valve "reference center". These are hospitals that perform hundreds of repairs each year and can perform these more complex repairs. This web site lists several of these centers--Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, and The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano, are all examples of this type of hospital. I hope this helps!!

Peggy Mahoney   Thrilled with heart team, Dr. Walter McGregor operates di Vinci robot, the team are like clockwork, they have worked together four plus years.

Destry LeBrun  Andrew, Thank you for your response. Yes, I was asking about how the surgeons determine who is a good candidate for robotic repair compared to a traditional approach. Your answer is very helpful. Since I posted my question, we have secured Dr. Clifton Lewis from http://alabamaheartsurgery.net/our-team/dr-clifton-lewis/
I'm not certain if his clinic technically is a reference center but from my understanding, it fits many of the requirements for qualification. My wife and I, along with the rest of my family are 100 percent on board with Dr. Lewis and his team. Thanks again for your response/feedback.

Andrew Venuto  Great! I have heard good things about that hospital. Wishing you the best possible outcome for you and your family!