About Me (In My Own Words)
I have had 5 Open Heart Surgeries. I wish I had found this website 20 years ago or even before my December 2018 surgery. The support system here is so awesome!
Hope my story gives you some comfort in knowing you will be OK. In 2000 I had a blood born staph infection which caused endocarditis. It attacked my Mitral Valve. At 28 years old I had my first Open Heart Surgery in Las Vegas (Dr. Nancy Donahoe) to replace my Mitral Valve with a Porcine tissue valve. It was successful and within a few weeks I felt good and was back to a normal busy life.
Approx. 10 years later I began feeling winded with exercise and went to my cardiologist. He ran me through a stress test and I was in such good cardio shape it appeared nothing was wrong with my heart. Several months went by and I still wasn't feeling well so I was referred to several other doctors suggesting I had asthma, stomach issues etc. This went on for almost 6 months before my wife finally loaded me up and took me to the ER. It was confirmed that it was my Mitral Valve again and it was time for another new valve. I had been in congestive heart failure for 4-5 months at this point. Because my heart valve had not been working for quite some time, several of my other large organs were compromised and and I ended up in Kidney failure. So listen to your body. After a few weeks in the hospital and several days of dialysis, the doctors felt I was healthy enough for my 2nd Mitral Valve replacement. We were at a different Las Vegas hospital so we went with a different surgeon this time. Dr. Robert Wiencek. February 14th, 2011 - Dr. Wiencek replaced my Mitral Valve this time with a Bovine tissue valve. At this time I also had a repair done to my Tricuspid valve that was also leaking. I was told the surgery went well. After several weeks home I still wasn't feeling great. I would still get winded easily and something just didn't feel right. I was also starting to swell in my feet and legs. I went to see my surgeon for follow up on 3-9-18 (3 weeks post-op) and he said everything looked and sounded good.
Two days later my cardiologist Dr. Jay Patel scheduled a T.E.E. knowing something wasn't right. It was confirmed that during my 2/14 surgery the surgeon had nicked a HOLE in the Aortic curtain (area between mitral and aortic valves) . Surgeon claimed it was endocarditis but all tests showed no signs of infection. Surgery was scheduled again for 4/11 to repair the hole.
Open Heart Surgery again on 4/11 with Dr. Wiencek. He again says all went well and that the hole was successfully patched. Day 6 post op another TEE was done and showed the patch was GONE. Surgery did not work and the hole was still there. At that time we were advised to get out of Las Vegas and go to a more experienced doctor and medical facility.
On 4/19- I was transferred via ambulance to Los Angeles, CA. USC Medical Center (now Keck Medical Center of USC). Dr. Vaughn Starnes took care of me and I am forever grateful. He saved my life. On 4/22 - I had yet ANOTHER Open Heart Surgery (3rd one in 2 months) to fix what Dr. Wiencek had done to my heart. Dr. Starnes basically re-built all the tissue around my heart and repaired the hole. Unfortunately during this surgery I suffered a stroke and lost my left side temporarily. I did a lot of rehab and learned to walk and use my left side again after a few months of rehab. I still have some motor skill issues and numbness but much better than before. Almost forgot. I also got a pace maker while at USC. That was the easy part.
Fast forward 7.5 years. I am in great shape and workout 4-5 days per week doing boot camp / Cross Fit type cardio training. I started getting winded again during exercise so went to my cardiologist Dr. Jay Patel who immediately ordered TEE. On November 2, 2018 it was confirmed that my Mitral Valve was calcified and my pressures were very high. I would need surgery again "sooner rather than later".
Although I was healthy and felt good for the most part, I knew my body and knew something was wrong. We consulted with several surgeons to make sure we were comfortable with who we had perform Open Heart Surgery #5. It was without a doubt Dr. Vaughn Starnes. He sat with us during our consult and told us exactly what we needed to do and how he would perform the needed surgery. I was hoping for a Trans-Catheter approach this time but because I already had so much calcification per the TEE, he did not recommend the Trans-Catheter for this time.
Surgery was scheduled for Mitral Valve re-do December 21, 2018. We have 3 children ages 21, 19, and 14. We loaded up the kids and rented an apartment at Currie Hall on campus of Keck Medical Center. I highly recommend Currie Hall if you need a place and will be there 3+ days. Surgery was a success with Dr. Starnes and he not only replaced the Mitral Valve but the Aortic Valve as well. When he got in there he said the Mitral Valve was so calcified it had calcified all the tissue in between the Mitral and Aortic valves as well as most of the Aortic valve so both needed to be replaced. He also replaced all the tissue within the Aortic curtain again. I stayed in the hospital about 10 days and came home on New Years Eve.
Now I am 6 weeks post-op and I'm feeling good. I have been back to work for several weeks now. I am a project manager for a large construction company. I walk several miles per day and am back in the gym several days a week doing cardio and very light weight (if any). My cardiologist says my heart looks good and both my new valves are working exactly as they are supposed to.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Las Vegas, Nevada
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My surgery date is:
December 21, 2018
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I was diagnosed with:
Mitral Stenosis
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My surgery was:
Aortic Valve Replacement
Mitral Valve Replacement
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My hospital is:
Keck Medical Center of USC
