Gil's Photos

Gil Solomon  I missed the April 2018 Patient Day at Edwards Lifesciences because of my aortic valve replacement and aortic aneurysm repair on April 10, 2018. But I did see Adam’s post with video on April 16, 2 days after coming home from UCLA Medical Center. I thought I would have to wait until April 2019, but I received a response from an email inviting me to come down. Four months after my surgery I went down to Edwards. Michael Mussallem, the CEO of Edwards greeted me in the lobby and took the time to chat.
I received a tour showing the major developments along the way, before being introduced to the three women (center of the picture) who sewed my heart valve. I loved it and so did they.
The technology is amazing. It starts with cow pericardium, the very thin layer surrounding the heart. Then it is treated chemically to stiffen it. It is cut into three leaflets and sewed onto a frame. Six hours and more than 1000 stitches later, it emerges as a valve for implant. As a family doc, I’ve assisted at surgery and sutured tissue. The tissue can tear easily so it requires a steady hand. To place 1000 stitches in fragile tissue is a major accomplishment. The Inspiris_Resilia valve I received became available in the US in February of this year. The final Resilia treatment has been shown in studies to delay the calcification, that will hopefully extend the life of the valve. So thanks to Adam for writing about Patient Day and the opportunity to go to Edwards.

Lilly Black  Hi, Gil. I went to Edwards in 2017. You can see the heart valve in my journal. Wasn't it interesting? I am so grateful to these people who work so hard assembling the valves that save our lives. How are you doing?