Dr. Matthew Powers
, Heart Surgeon

Torrance, CA
- Unregistered Surgeon

Patient Recommendations (1)

"Excellent experience, wonderful bedside manner, a patient, caring and an understanding surgeon. The results were super. This was a Mitral Valve Repair with an Annuloplasty Ring along with left Atrial Apendage clipping with an AtriClip."

Posted by Sandy Logan, Mitral Valve, Valve Repair, Median Sternotomy, 09/26/2023

> 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.

> Search again

Dr. Pedro Catarino
Heart Surgeon

Los Angeles, CA - Registered Surgeon

Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai
127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Suite 3600
Los Angeles, CA

(424) 788-0548

Patient Recommendations (2)

"My diagnosis came about through treatment for another medical problem. In November 2020, while having a portion of my left lung removed, the ultrasound showed that I also had an aneurysm in my aortic arch, the portion of the large blood vessel through the center of the body that curves up and then downward above the heart.

An echocardiogram was run, and it showed that about half of my blood wasn’t making it out of my heart because my aortic valve wasn’t working properly. My high blood pressure, when coupled with a low functioning aortic valve, is probably what caused the aneurysm in my aortic arch. I was also having trouble breathing, which is common for many people suffering from a low functioning aortic valve.

It became clear that I was going to need surgery. But when my local surgeon didn’t have the necessary equipment for the aortic and valve surgery that I needed, my insurance company did a search and found Dr. Catarino at Cedars-Sinai.

My experience with Dr. Catarino started with me going to his office, where both he and his staff made me feel completely comfortable. They told me that I had nothing to fear and assured me that they could take care of me. When I woke up from my surgery, I was pleasantly surprised that I had no pain other than some discomfort in my shoulders which only lingered for a day or two. I also had no bruising. Dr. Catarino has magical hands! I was up walking around the next morning which shocked and surprised my friends, who weren’t expecting to see me up-and-about. Dr. Catarino’s bedside manner is great. He is friendly, warm, and informative and knows just how to make a patient feel comfortable. He was also able to complete my surgery in less than the expected five hours. The nursing staff is also terrific, and they took wonderful care of me. I was only in the hospital at Cedars-Sinai for six days.

Looking back six months later, I’m having a much easier time breathing now and my physical therapy is going well. I couldn’t complain about Dr. Catarino and his team if I wanted to. I’m telling all my friends that if they ever need heart valve or aortic surgery, that they should head straight to Dr. Catarino!"

-- Peter Flores, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Median Sternotomy, Root Replacement

Valve Specialist

HOME

ABOUT US

COMMUNITY

LEARNING CENTER

DOCTOR FINDER

HEART HOSPITALS

VIDEOS

ADAM'S BLOG

NEWSLETTER

STORE

CONTACT

JOIN US

SIGN IN

Dr. Matthew Powers
, Heart Surgeon

Patient Recommendations (1)

Valve Specialist
Near Torrance, CA

Dr. Pedro Catarino

Dr. Pedro Catarino
Heart Surgeon

Dr. Matthew Powers, Heart Surgeon

Patient Recommendations (1)

Valve SpecialistNear Torrance, CA

Dr. Pedro Catarino

Dr. Matthew Powers
, Heart Surgeon

Valve Specialist
Near Torrance, CA