Dr. John Mitchell
, Heart Surgeon

Patient Recommendations (1)

"There are not enough kind words to describe what a difference has Dr. Mitchell made for my peace of mind during my open heart surgery. I researched him online as well as through the medical staff in the clinic and adjacent health organizations to the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center and I have come across only with superlative reviews from medical professionals as well as patients about him. He is a seasoned surgeon, familiar with any procedure and surgery of any magnitude you can imagine, but maybe his true talent is translating it all into English for you. He gives you a great understanding of your particular situation, in detail, and he explains the good and the bad, the benefits as well as the risks of the surgery is about to perform. I have a very complex disease, I have had coronary artery disease, and atherosclerosis of my carotids for years which posed additional risks to my valve replacement surgery. But he ran every test, to get a complete picture of my unique anatomy and then he came up with a plan for my surgery: his goal was not just to replace my aortic valve (which was the acute reason my cardiologist sent me to him with) but to repair as much as possible from what is broken in my heart so he won't have to repeat the surgery again, for any reason, in the future.

He replaced my aortic valve, he grafted my ascending aorta and performed a quadruple bypass on four of my coronary arteries. He went into the surgery thinking he'll do a double bypass, but once in, he found two more areas of my heart that were not getting enough blood, so he bypassed them, as well.

He is usually late for his appointments, but he spends more than adequate time with you (your appointments will be hours, if you need him to) - he spends extra hours with you, to make sure he answers all your questions. He personally calls you with tests results, and he personally makes appointments for you, if he recommends more tests or other doctors to see you. After the surgery (which lasted 12 hours), he stayed by my side in the ICU until my tube came out (2 hours) and until he was 100% sure there was no immediate brain damage done during the surgery (considering he had to do circulatory arrest during my aorta repair). He is one of the most empathetic doctors I have met, and I went into this surgery minimally nervous, because I had the confidence that whatever came his way, he could handle it, to bring me back "on the other side" in as best shape as he can. I would recommend him to anyone I know, especially my closest family and friends. He is an encyclopaedia of knowledge backed by a true kind and compassionate heart. A rare combination. Having had a genetic disease and having spent my whole life in doctor's offices, I can tell you one such human being doesn't come along often in the medical profession. "

Posted by Alina Wilson, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Median Sternotomy, Root Replacement, 02/11/2016