About Me (In My Own Words)
I was born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a "blue baby" so to speak. I had corrective surgery in 1972 at Good Samaritan in Phoenix, AZ by the legendary Dr. Lee Brown.
Throughout my childhood years we faithfully kept our yearly checkup appointments to monitor my progress. By the time I reached young adulthood my appointments became less frequent until ultimately years would pass between visits. When I did actually see a Cardiologist they weren't necessarily an expert in Congenital Heart Defects. So needless to say I wasn't getting the right kind of care that an adult "Tet" patient needs. Little did I know that the murmur in my chest was actually moderate pulmonic regurgitation which, in time, was causing my RV to dilate to an unhealthy size.
Were it not for a change in circumstances within my life I most likely would not have had the events take place that led me to my current Cardiologist, whom IS a congenital heart Dr and knew exactly what to start looking for in a patient that's 44 years past his first corrective surgery for ToF.
She became my heart Dr in early May of 2016 and by mid-month she was explaining to me that PVR surgery was eminent.
My advice to other Adult Tet patients is to never miss your yearly checkups and absolutely find a Cardiologist with a strong background in Congenital Heart Defects.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Tempe
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My surgery date is:
October 12, 2016
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I was diagnosed with:
Pulmonary Regurgitation
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My surgery was:
Pulmonary Valve Replacement
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My surgeon is:
Dr. Daniel Velez
