Dr. Gregory Fontana
, Heart Surgeon

Thousand Oaks, CA
- Unregistered Surgeon

Patient Recommendations (2)

"I live in Laguna Niguel which is located in S. Orange County CA and am frequently asked why I chose to have my aortic valve surgery done in Thousand Oaks, located Ventura County, which is not exactly close and a good 1 3/4 hour drive with no traffic, and 3-4+ hours with traffic.

Simple answer: The cardiac surgeon, Greg Fontana, who I knew previously when we worked together in the development of aortic balloon catheters designed to place a patient on bypass without cracking the chest. This was done when Greg was located at Cedars Sinai. We had lost touch when Greg moved to NY and was based out of Lenox Hill. When I had learned he was back in S. CA heading up the cardiothoracic program at Los Robles Regional MC, the choice was easy, if not convenient.

Why: His skill level and experience in minimally invasive cardiac surgery is awesome and he had proven to be extremely helpful, insightful and cooperative in the multiple meetings we had previously in the development of the aortic balloon catheters. He is a great guy to deal with and his bedside manner is superb, taking all the time necessary to answer and address any and all questions and concerns. I'm now 6 weeks postop and all is AOK. If there is a rating system for recommending a cardiac surgeon, Greg Fontana is easily an A+++!!! He is the Man."

Posted by Jeff Kadan, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Mini Sternotomy, 09/16/2020

"Awesome. Dr. Fontana was professional, caring, and engendered a high level of trust. I had the valve repair and a coronary bypass. He explained everything to my family, he made wonderful choices for my care and treatment. I will be forever grateful."

Posted by Bobbie Ayala, Aortic Valve, Valve Repair, 08/27/2009

> About this profile

Thanks to a verified patient recommendation, this surgeon has been included in our Surgeon Finder as an "Unregistered Surgeon". This surgeon does not have any association with this website, its educational efforts or its patient-advocacy initiatives. To see a list of "Registered Surgeons", please click here.

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Dr. Michael Bowdish
Heart Surgeon

Los Angeles, CA - Registered Surgeon

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Suite 3600
Los Angeles, CA

(213) 699-5427

Patient Recommendations (7)

"As far as I was concerned, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It was a warm, June day and I felt fine. I went for my visit with my primary care doctor (PCP) thinking it would be routine. So, when he took my EKG and asked me what was going on with my heart, I was a bit surprised and had no idea what to think. It was then that my PCP referred me to a local cardiologist where a CT scan of my heart showed that there really was something seriously wrong. My cardiologist looked me in the eye and gave me the news that I’ll never forget. He told me that my aortic root and ascending aorta, which form the large blood vessel coming off the top of my heart, were dilated and in immediate danger of rupturing. This is known as an aortic aneurysm. And if this rupture occurred, I would bleed to death internally within minutes.

My cardiologist immediately referred me to the surgeons at Cedars-Sinai Huntington Health. At first, he suggested that I see Dr. Cohen. And when Dr. Cohen looked at my dilated aortic root and ascending aorta, he referred me to Dr. Bowdish - who specializes in the related repair procedure. Sitting down with Dr. Bowdish brought immediate clarity to my circumstances. Dr. Bowdish took the CD of my scans and put it up on his computer monitor for me. He explained that my aortic aneurysm was most likely due to my defective aortic valve on top of my heart allowing my blood to flow too hard against the root and the aorta, causing them to expand. And so, the aortic valve would also have to be replaced. The sight of my swollen aorta was chilling. I knew it did not look right. Instead of looking like a slender pipeline to route my blood throughout my body, it looked like a river on the verge of flooding and overflowing its banks. And I knew that if it ruptured, that it meant immediate death. But Dr. Bowdish was so calm and reassuring. He has performed hundreds of aortic repair surgeries and valve replacements, and he was every bit as relaxed about it as if he was performing any accustomed task. Dr. Bowdish told me what to expect and how long it would take to heal. And I came away taking it all in stride. I knew that my surgery simply had to happen, and Dr. Bowdish gave me good reason not to feel too anxious.

When the day of my surgery came in September, I was surprised that I wasn’t in as much pain afterwards as I had expected. Dr. Bowdish stopped by to check on me and told me that my surgery was one of the best ones that he and his team had ever performed. I only stayed in the hospital for four days before my sister could take me home. My main source of discomfort was a post operative cough. I was told to hold my heart pillow against my chest to numb the discomfort of the coughs, and that did help. I also changed from tramadol to Tylenol to control any amount of pain that I experienced. My PCP was also involved in my recovery, and he gave me an inhaler to help with my cough, as well.

Throughout my recovery, I was strongly supported by Sunita, Dr. Bowdish’s nurse practitioner. Sunita answered my calls promptly, and often within an hour. Whenever I had a question or a concern, she was always so friendly and supportive. And she really stayed on top of my meds. Sunita encouraged me to check my heart rate and blood pressure regularly, and when my bp dropped too much, Sunita had me cut my pills in half with a pill splitter. Constant monitoring since surgery has enabled Dr. Bowdish’s team to order adjustments to my bp meds and statins, and I am now getting used to them. And when I experienced post-operative A-fib, Sunita told me it would go away on its own - and it did.

Two months after my surgery, life is returning to normal. I only needed the walker that they gave me at the hospital for one month. I am walking on my own again now with no chest pain and no coughing. It’s incredible to look back at everything I went through getting a new aortic valve, and new ascending aorta and root, and to think that my main complaint was finding parking in the garage. But I suppose that the garage is crowded because great surgeons like Dr. Bowdish and his team attract such a large number of patients. And they should attract you, too. I absolutely recommend Dr. Bowdish, Sunita, and his entire clinical team. And I am fortunate that my PCP was so conscientious in referring me to a cardiologist, and that the cardiologist was just as alert to aortic issues and that he knew to refer me to only the finest surgeons at Cedars-Sinai Huntington Health. If you had asked me earlier this year if I had expected that I would need a new aortic valve, and ascending aorta and root, I would never have anticipated that I would go through this experience in any way. But since that shocking and surprising diagnosis did come, and Dr. Bowdish was there to guide me through it, I can say that it’s been a pretty good year, and that I’m a very lucky man, indeed."

-- Glen VanDerLinden, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Root Replacement

Valve Specialist

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Dr. Gregory Fontana
, Heart Surgeon

Patient Recommendations (2)

Valve Specialist
Near Thousand Oaks, CA

Dr. Michael Bowdish

Dr. Michael Bowdish
Heart Surgeon

Dr. Gregory Fontana, Heart Surgeon

Patient Recommendations (2)

Valve SpecialistNear Thousand Oaks, CA

Dr. Michael Bowdish

Dr. Gregory Fontana
, Heart Surgeon

Valve Specialist
Near Thousand Oaks, CA