About Me (In My Own Words)
I'm 50 yrs old. Since my teens I knew I had a heart murmur. In my late 20's, it was then referred to as mitral valve prolapse. In my 40's, it was mitral valve prolapse with moderate regurgitation. Every year for approx. 15 yrs, I've had an annual echocardiogram to determine if there was a change in status. I did not have any symptoms. However, in March 2023 I had my standard echocardiogram. About a week later, my cardiologist called and advised me that the mitral valve regurgitation is now severe and he referred me to see a thoracic surgeon. I was told "severe" in this context refers to the volume of blood going in the wrong direction, not necessarily a sense of urgency.
In May, I met with the thoracic surgeon, Dr. Matthew Romano, to go over the echo results. He explained my options with respect to surgery (repair vs replacement). Before making any decisions, he ordered additional tests: Right & Left Cardiac Catheterization and Transesophageal Ultrasound. By the end of June, all tests were completed and I returned to meet with Dr. Romano in July. He confirmed the need for surgery based on the results -- enlarged right atrium and increased PAH pressure. Surgery (mitral valve repair and possibly tricuspid valve repair) was scheduled at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center for September 28th.
Please see my Journal for details pertaining to my surgery and recovery.
* This is my shout-out to the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Team *
The University of Michigan Cardiovascular Team was amazing! The nursing staff was super busy, but professional and responsive. I didn't appreciate blood draws at 4:30 AM, but overall I appreciated all of the staff members I interacted with.
* My Surgical Team *
Thoracic Surgeon: Dr. Matthew Romano (Director of the Multidisciplinary Mitral Valve Clinic)
My initial impression of Dr. Romano was that he wasn't very personable, but very business-like. This is not necessarily a negative thing, but when you're needing open heart surgery, it's scary. So, having a little more warmth may have put me at ease. With that said, Dr. Romano was incredibly competent, confident, and attentive. He was very patient as I asked all of my questions -- I had many, but I never felt rushed. He took his time to explain things with a calm and measured approach. During one of my pre-op visits, I inquired about the size of the sternotomy scar. He acknowledged my concern, and suggested the scar would be 6-8". However, it's actually 4 inches. I was prepared to deal with whatever size scar I had, but I was really appreciative that he was able to successfully complete the surgery with a mini sternotomy scar.
Nurse / Clinical Care Coordinator: David Vanderstelt
David works closely with Dr. Romano. During pre-op and post-op, Dave kept me calm, as I was pretty nervous. He was very personable, funny, and patient. He's worked with Dr. Romano for a long time and he was able to put me at ease regarding things to expect before surgery and after surgery. Repeatedly, he encouraged me to call him pre-op and post-op if I had any questions. Dr. Romano and Dave make a great team and complement each other.
Cardiovascular Physician Assistant: Myles Purdy
Myles helped to manage my care post-op while in the hospital. He was very easy going, attentive, and he addressed my post-op questions/concerns to put me at ease.
All three men stopped by to visit me on the day of discharge. I wish I had captured a photo of the team who fixed my broken heart. They were amazing and I feel incredibly blessed.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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My surgery date is:
September 28, 2023
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I was diagnosed with:
Mitral Regurgitation
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My surgery was:
Mitral Valve Repair
Tricuspid Valve Repair
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