Hari Karra - Heart Valve Journal

My Journal

264 days ago

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Hari Karra

Hari Karra Hari Karra is scheduled for Aortic Valve replacement surgery on Friday March 29th , 2024 at the Struc ... Read more

Hari Karra Hari Karra is scheduled for Aortic Valve replacement surgery on Friday March 29th , 2024 at the Structural Heart and Valve Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian Hospital

Dario Anicic I had to replace myne whit 38 years. It was me and other 65 ,75 and 85 years old in hospital and they ... Read more

Dario Anicic I had to replace myne whit 38 years. It was me and other 65 ,75 and 85 years old in hospital and they are all fine 😁👍

Nancy Bukowski Hi Hari, best wishes to you on your upcoming surgery. I am having a similar surgery (hemisternotomy ... Read more

Nancy Bukowski Hi Hari, best wishes to you on your upcoming surgery. I am having a similar surgery (hemisternotomy) on April 10th using the exact same valve as you. This was recommended by my surgeon.

Isabella Heart Best of luck!

Barbara deLoache Here’s to a very successful surgery and recovery.

Jack Baker Hari
will be thinking of you tomorrow and wishing you an uneventful recovery! You got this!

Karen Hommel Sending prayers to you for a successful surgery and a smooth recovery 🙏

Hari Karraposted a photo

291 days ago

Hari Karraposted a journal

300 days ago

I was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis due to a congenital bicuspid valve in November 2022 and have been under a watchful waiting program with ...Read more

I was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis due to a congenital bicuspid valve in November 2022 and have been under a watchful waiting program with the doctors in Apollo- Chennai India .My parameters ( valve area / gradient ) have recently deteriorated and I am experiencing some level of fatigue.

I'm am scheduled to meet with the cardiologist/ surgeon team at the Columbia Structural Heart and Valve Clinic - NYPresbyterian Hospital on March 13 and I anticipate that they will recommend valve replacement surgery - which I will have performed at the Columbia structural heart and valve clinic - Will update the group and look forward to insights/ guidance as I go along my journey

Rob Elwood Hari, best of luck to you. I had my aortic valve replaced on January 25th, just 3 1/2 weeks ago. It ... Read more

Rob Elwood Hari, best of luck to you. I had my aortic valve replaced on January 25th, just 3 1/2 weeks ago. It is a great improvement. I didn't know that breathing was this easy.

Rich Butela Had mine done in September. Not as bad as I imagined it would be. Ask lots of questions, get comforta ... Read more

Rich Butela Had mine done in September. Not as bad as I imagined it would be. Ask lots of questions, get comfortable with your surgeon, it's amazing what they can do now. All the best !

Hari Karraposted an update

385 days ago

I have been diagnosed with a severe stenosis of the aortic value due which is bicuspid. I am currently under watchful observation and anticipate that I will ...Read more

I have been diagnosed with a severe stenosis of the aortic value due which is bicuspid. I am currently under watchful observation and anticipate that I will have to undergo value replacement surgery / TVAR as and when symptoms develop or my condition deteriorates. I have recently been covered under Medicare upon reaching 65 years of age.

The question I have is should I be considering to take any additional Indeminity Plans to cover any expenses Medicare would bot cover in the event of surgery. My former employer offers the UHC Indeminity Plan which costs about $638 per month -
Any insights / thoughts would be greatly appreciated

Rose Madura I would consider getting a Medigap plan. The one I have covers what medicare doesn't and I pay less ... Read more

Rose Madura I would consider getting a Medigap plan. The one I have covers what medicare doesn't and I pay less than $200/mo for it.

Hari Karra Thanks much Rose

Marie Myers My Medicare supplement costs $274/ month, and it covers the 20% that Medicare doesn’t cover. Many M ... Read more

Marie Myers My Medicare supplement costs $274/ month, and it covers the 20% that Medicare doesn’t cover. Many Medicare supplements cover a gym membership also. This is great bonus after you are all recovered and ready to get more active again.

Hari Karra Thanks much Marie - I have also got myself something similar from UHC

Hari Karraposted an update

644 days ago

Hello Ranjan - I'm also a bicuspid, detected in October 2022 diagnosed to be asymptomatic with moderate to severe stenosis, The Columbia cardio / surgeon heart ...Read more

Hello Ranjan - I'm also a bicuspid, detected in October 2022 diagnosed to be asymptomatic with moderate to severe stenosis, The Columbia cardio / surgeon heart valve team in NYC made the recommendation to continue to monitor. This assessment was also based on the findings of an echocardiogram test that showed higher than average performance for my age. So back in Chennai to my usual routine monitoring for any changes in symptoms or parameters.

Ranjan wishing you a speedy recovery - also wanted to see if there was any decision point that prompted your surgeon to perform the surgery without any visible symptoms.

Best Wishes
Hari Karra

Rajan Parrikar Hari - It's Rajan (not Ranjan) 🙂

From 2014 onwards, when my bicuspid valve was first diagn ... Read more

Rajan Parrikar Hari - It's Rajan (not Ranjan) 🙂

From 2014 onwards, when my bicuspid valve was first diagnosed, I had yearly Echocardiograms to monitor the progress of stenosis. When we moved to Iceland in 2019, I was screened every 6 months. The progression was non-linear. Until 2021 the degradation was steady but had not gotten to the 'severe' stenosis stage as suggested by the mean gradient. In the 2022 screenings, it finally spilled into the 'severe stenosis' regime. I was still asymptomatic (right until surgery). But the current thinking in expert circles is that once you are in the severe stage it is better to intervene rather than wait for symptoms to appear. After all, the calcification was proceeding in one direction only and it would only get worse. Therefore, after the last screening in Sept 2022, my cardiologist and I together decided it was time for an intervention.

Hari Karraposted an update

770 days ago

Hello Mike - I am 63 years old, live in Chennai India - I have been diagnosed with severe Aortic stenosis arising from a calcified Bicuspid Aortic value ( ...Read more

Hello Mike - I am 63 years old, live in Chennai India - I have been diagnosed with severe Aortic stenosis arising from a calcified Bicuspid Aortic value ( Congenital) . Aortic Value Replacement surgery has been recommended as the right procedure considering my age, low risk of surgery and having a Bicuspid value ( I believe there is insufficient evidence about the success of TAVR on Bicuspid aortic valves) . My first question is which is the hospital and surgeon that you would recommend I go to in (a) Chennai (b) Other cities in India .

My second question is how much would the surgery cost in a hospital in the NYC area - and which hospital would you recommend- I will be insured in the US

Subhash Chandel I read somewhere, someone got such surgery in Narayana Health, Bangalore. In US, Cleveland Clinic is ... Read more

Subhash Chandel I read somewhere, someone got such surgery in Narayana Health, Bangalore. In US, Cleveland Clinic is the best.

Timothy Andre Hello Hari, I am not sure of the cost for surgery in NYC because each insurance plan is different. I... Read more

Timothy Andre Hello Hari, I am not sure of the cost for surgery in NYC because each insurance plan is different. I went to Mt. Sinai in NYC for my surgery and they are great. Good luck with your search. God bless you