About Dr. Michael Bowdish,
Heart Valve Surgeon

"Aortic aneurysms have been a silent killer for thousands of years, and modern medicine is only now beginning to catch up with them. And so, it’s not at all surprising that I had been walking around with a ticking time bomb inside my chest and I had no idea it was even there. My aneurysm and related valve problem was only discovered when I went to another hospital for testing for unrelated symptoms. I had experienced indication of a mild stroke and when an echo was run on my heart, the dilation of the large blood vessel that arches above my heart and then carries blood to the rest of my body was discovered. And it was a large aneurysm, as it included both the root of my aorta above my defective aortic valve that was helping to cause it, and the ascending aorta that runs above the heart to the point where it arches down to carry oxygen-rich blood to the rest of my body. Both my aortic valve, the aortic root, and ascending aorta would need to be replaced. Understandably, the other hospital told me that I needed to see a surgeon right away.

After my attempts to go through a local cardiologist only resulted in delay, I took matters into my own hands. Finding a surgeon was surprisingly easy. Cedars-Sinai has long held a reputation as one of the finest heart care centers in the world. Once I was on the Cedars website, Dr. Bowdish’s profile was right there with the credentials and experience to immediately win my trust. And when I went for my consultation with Dr. Bowdish, the reason for the reputation of the Cedars’ program was immediately apparent. Dr. Bowdish spoke with me in a way that was comforting and informative. He explained my aneurysm and related heart valve problem very thoroughly and gave me an understanding of just what to expect. I was a little apprehensive, to be sure. I had done my research online and I was not looking forward to major heart surgery. But I just wanted to get it done with and I knew that with Dr. Bowdish, I had found just the right surgeon to help me through it. And once my surgery did occur, I discovered that Dr. Bowdish and his entire clinical team were the best partners-in-care that I could have possibly hoped for.

On the day of the surgery, I was placed on a gurney, given a mild sedative, and brought to the OR. As I lay on the table, Dr. Bowdish and the anesthesiologist asked me if I had any questions. Then, a mask was placed on my face and the next thing I knew, I was waking up in the ICU. As I awoke, I was heavily doped up and breathing through a tube for the first several hours. These intubation breathing tubes are notorious for being uncomfortable as they make you feel like you’re constantly swallowing something. The nurse kept asking me how I felt. I just continued pointing to the breathing tube. But my discomfort was short-lived, for by 9:30 pm the night after surgery, the tube was pulled out and I was breathing again on my own. And as soon as the tube came out, the nurses had me sitting up in the chair next to my bed. Then, by 6:30 am the very next morning, the care team had me walking around the floor in the ICU for exercise. As I walked around the hospital floor pushing my IV cart, I remember them asking me if I wanted to stop. But I told them “no.” I just wanted was to keep going. All of this seemed extraordinary, as it wasn’t even 24 hours after major surgery. As for the incision in my chest, there wasn’t as much pain there as I had expected. I was able to take Tylenol for my chest, and once I returned home, I weened myself off that, as well. A week after my release, I visited with Dr. Bowdish again for the evaluation of the heeling of my incision and everything was healing up well.

My experience also involved my family in different ways. Most importantly, aneurysm issues are frequently genetic. For this reason, if an aneurysm is diagnosed in one family member, it is advisable to have all genetically related family members scanned for aneurysms as a precaution. Cedars-Sinai is a strong proponent of this aggressive type of aortic care. And so, as a result of my own diagnosis, my father, brother, and half-brother have all been scanned for aneurysms in the months following my own surgery with Dr. Bowdish. Of course, the other aspect of family involvement is having them present as a support network during hospitalization. Cedars-Sinai has a list of nearby hotels that they recommend for patients’ families. This made it easy for both my wife and son to find a nearby hotel so they could be with me for my stay in the hospital.

My smooth recovery at home was the next chapter of the experience. As I checked out of the hospital after my surgery, I was given exercises to aid my recovery by a physical therapist. Once home, I faithfully stuck to my exercise routine. Shortly after getting home, I was walking a few miles each day. When another physical therapist came to evaluate me, I had progressed to the point where it was felt that I had no need for any outside help with my exercises, so I was released from any further physical therapy.

Within three months of my surgery, I was back at work as an aerospace engineer without any restrictions. I had originally been approved to return to work on November 21, which would have been three months after my surgery. But I felt like I was back to my regular self sooner, so, I returned to work on November 4. And by the end of November, three months after surgery, I was outside pushing my lawn mower and taking care of my lawn.

Looking back at my experience with Dr. Bowdish and his team, I will always remember the cast of caretakers who helped me get through a very complex and challenging surgery with such efficiency and relative ease. The entire staff was wonderful. From the very beginning, Dr. Bowdish’s scheduler, Brenda Lopez, booked my appointments and took care of my disability paperwork in the most helpful and knowledgeable way. Knowing that you’re going to get paid when you’re off work for a few months is extremely calming. In the ICU, nurses like Sherye Ifergan and Hannah Oh were all wonderful and supported Dr. Bowdish by making me feel comfortable throughout the hospitalization portion of my lifesaving experience. The experience and knowledge of the entire nursing team gave me an assuring sense that what I was going through did not need to be an ordeal, because for them, saving lives is routine. And while meds may be prescribed to lower blood pressure, the comfort brought by Dr. Bowdish and his team are stress reducers in their own right. As an aerospace engineer, creating things that soar into space, as JFK once said – “with an efficiency greater than that of a Swiss watch” - has made me a highly astute observer of systems that work.

I can only recommend Dr. Bowdish and his team in the strongest possible terms. I can confidently state that they can treat you for the most challenging diagnoses, with the most complex treatments, with as little physical and emotional discomfort as possible. In the space world, we call that “mission accomplished.""

-- George Ramlow, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Median Sternotomy, Root Replacement, 08/21/2024

"I was shocked when I was told that I could live for either four days or four years if I did nothing. Life had been completely normal until I went for my annual checkup and a simple echo test suggested that there might be something wrong with my aortic valve. My doctor immediately decided that it was time for a closer look. That’s when a CT scan showed that the threat to my life was immediate. A 5.2-centimeter aortic root aneurysm was ballooning over the top of my heart, and it could burst at any moment — causing me to bleed to death internally within minutes. I was told that I needed surgery as soon as possible. In my case, it would be just three weeks until I was able to have the life-saving surgery that I needed. During those three weeks, I lived a calm life to try to keep my blood pressure as low as possible until that dangerously swollen artery could be repaired. That is when my wife started poking me in bed each morning to ensure that I was still alive. It was a surreal time.

As serious as my diagnosis was, I was justifiably proud of the progress I had made up until that time. Years back, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and told that I needed to lose weight. And I was successful at it. Prior to that, I had 249 pounds of weight on my 6’2” frame. With diet and exercise, I succeeded in losing 49 pounds in just 28 weeks with the PHD weight loss program, which involved me eating proteins, vegetables, soup, and special foods prescribed as part of the plan. Within just those seven months, I had emerged in terrific shape and was lifting weights, stretching, and going for long walks. And as an avid, lifelong water skier, having shed those 49 pounds meant that I could cut across the surface of the lakes faster than ever before. It was glorious to feel so liberated.

But all of a sudden, after all that work to get into shape, this new health crisis loomed. I knew that the dissection of that aneurysm was imminent, and that I needed surgery fast. It was then that my cardiologist referred me to Dr. Cohen at Cedars-Huntington Memorial in Pasadena. Dr. Cohen immediately introduced me to Dr. Michael Bowdish, who specializes is the type of aortic surgery that I needed to save my life. Going to meet with Drs. Bowdish and Cohen is a bit awe inspiring. These guys are so impressive. Everyone in their clinic and office is just so knowledgeable and so nice. The girl behind the desk smiled at me and said that people come from all over the world to meet with these surgeons. They explained everything about my condition and how they were going to treat it so thoroughly and in language I can understand. I could easily see why these guys have a global patient base. As for the plan of action, we knew that I was going to need to have my aortic root and ascending aorta replaced. But when a preoperative echo had showed that 40% of my blood was flowing backwards due to the aortic valve not working properly, the decision was made to either repair or replace my aortic valve. Because of my age, replacement of my aortic valve with a pig or cow valve was considered the most prudent for me. This combination of surgical treatments, where both the ascending aorta, root, and valve are replaced, is called a Bentall procedure. And this would be the lifeline restoring the normal function of my heart.

On the morning of the surgery, as I was wheeled into the operating room, I remember gazing around at all the stainless-steel equipment with all the glass gauges and dials. The anesthesiologist sat on a chair close to the floor and told me that they were going of use every one of them. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in the ICU. By the day after surgery, I was able to sit up in bed. The nurses complimented me on my progress, and I somehow knew right away that I was going to make a full recovery. Everything continued to go well. When I returned home, I was walking every day. I would go to the end of the block and back – a distance of a quarter mile each way. It wasn’t long before I had worked my way up to a full mile.

One of the things that helped my recovery was the wonderful group of people that I was surrounded with. Dr. Bowdish’s Nurse Practitioner, Sunita, is just terrific. Sunita and I hit it off really well. Drs. Bowdish and Cohen and their four fellows were all attentive and constantly answered questions from me and my family. Having worked so hard to get into shape, myself, I could not help but notice what great shape Dr. Bowdish and his crew are in. They really do live the lives of good physical fitness that they preach. I was constantly inspired by them.

My family and my Christian Faith were also an important part of my experience. I have been a strong Christian throughout my entire life. I do not worry about dying. I was never an emotional wreck throughout any of this experience. But I do care deeply about my family. So, when my oldest daughter became emotional, it caused me to become emotional when discussing our daughter’s feelings with my wife. Although I never feared death, I did have a talk with my financial advisor to free up enough of my financial assets to provide for my family and my end-of-life arrangements had they become necessary. When the time came to decide which family members would be present for my surgery, I decided to keep it to just three – my wife and two of my daughters, one of whom is an RN. I do have five grandchildren. But keeping my family support group at an efficient size limited the drama and anxiety and worked out well for everyone.

Another family issue with aortic aneurysms is genetic. For aneurysms can run in families. And I was certainly concerned about mine. My dad had lost both of his parents and his sister in their mid-sixties for reasons that were never clear. Since aneurysms can be so asymptomatic until the moment they rupture, I can only wonder if any or all of them had meet their fates due to aneurysms. We will never know, of course. But the understanding of aortic care brought about by this experience certainly broadens my perspective as to what might have occurred when those family members were lost with no clear explanation all those years ago. But while awareness of family history can be helpful, taking charge my family’s future is essential. For that reason, I sought out genetic counseling once I learned about this diagnosis. Fortunately, this brought good news. For genetic testing on me finally did reveal that aneurysms are not in my genetics for my kids to inherit. I immediately shared my genetic test results with my two daughters and my sister. Although this was welcome news, since my aneurysm did not come about genetically, I still urged all my family members to have themselves regularly checked with heart ultrasounds as I did. If an aneurysm could randomly happen to me, then it could randomly happen to you. It is also possible that my height of over 6’2” was a factor, as tallness can contribute to the risk of aneurysms. So, my message is simple – just check it out!

Three months after surgery, I was back to my normal routine and doing everything again. I was doing planks and leg lifts and lifting weights. The twenty pounds I had gained back during recovery shrank to back just a twelve-pound gain as I started exercising again. And there will be more weight coming off soon! I actually started cardiac rehab four months after surgery. While this is not typical, I can say that the one-hour workouts in rehab are helpful, and I strongly encourage others to take this route.

If you are looking for a heart or aortic surgeon, I absolutely recommend Dr. Bowdish and his entire care team. From the moment that Dr. Cohen said that he wanted to involve Dr. Bowdish as my surgeon, I was made me to feel that I was in the best possible hands. There were no complications, and everything went so well. My entire family is happy and relieved and we’re looking forward to spending the holidays together. And now, I have just one more wish for the upcoming New Year. There’s a pair of water skis sitting out in the garage. Soon it will be spring. I’m going to load up the car, drive up to the dock, slide that boat into the water - and get up on those skis! And once again – that lake will be mine!"

-- Stan Tyler, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Median Sternotomy, Root Replacement, 07/11/2024

"My life was in danger, and I didn’t even know it. I was walking around with an aneurysm that had swollen to over five centimeters. My defective aortic valve had increased the blood pressure against my aortic arch, contributing to its dangerous enlargement. On Thursday, June 6, as I was doing a crossword puzzle on my I-Pad, I felt a sudden, stabbing pain in the middle of my chest. When deep breathing didn’t resolve the pain, I called a friend who took me to the emergency room at Huntington Memorial. Upon arrival, I was immediately placed in the ICU and things seemed to go from zero to sixty very quickly. Scans would reveal my condition. While my memories of this stressful time are quite cloudy, there was one moment of clarity that brought firmness to my understanding. I had a visit from several doctors – one of whom was Dr. Michael Bowdish. He said with unerring directness, “We have consulted and decided that we need to address your heart problems first. You have a defective aortic valve and aneurysms of the ascending and descending aortas. We have to operate – now.” Dr. Bowdish then told me that he wanted to transfer me to Cedars-Sinai where he had the right equipment for the type of surgery I needed.

It's easy to experience fear and confusion when hearing a diagnosis of heart valve and aneurysm disease. But I was immediately calmed by Dr. Bowdish’s manner of explaining things. He started by taking a piece of paper and drawing a picture of my heart and aorta for me. “This is what we need to do,” he said. “You need an elephant trunk procedure, which is a replacement of both your ascending and descending aortas, and the aortic arch that connects them.” Dr. Bowdish has a friendly and direct communicative style. He is authoritative without being bossy or condescending. He exudes just the right amount of confidence. And he is firm - but without brow beating or fear mongering. With the confidence he communicates, there was no question in my mind that we should proceed exactly as Dr. Bowdish explained. I immediately knew I was in good hands.

I was fortunate that in Dr. Bowdish I had a surgeon qualified to perform my surgery at the number two heart surgery hospital in the entire United States. The staffs at both Cedars and Huntington moved heaven and earth to transfer me to Cedars for my surgery with Dr. Bowdish. Having worked as a hospital volunteer in a surgical waiting area for families, I have come to understand how hospitals work behind the scenes. And I can tell you – the cooperation between Cedars-Sinai and its Huntington Memorial affiliate in Pasadena — is HUGE. Their collaboration means that with patient records shared through a program called EPIC, my transfer to Cedars would be immediate and seamless. This complete transparency between the two hospitals means that all the doctors at both hospitals have immediate contact with each other along with access to the same patient records. Throughout both my pre and post operative experiences, the ability of both hospitals to interact was awesome. I could not have asked for a better team arrangement.

And despite the gravity of my diagnosis, Dr. Bowdish helped me to feel safe, calm, and assured. When three of my siblings were with me in the hospital prior to my surgery, I had the physicians’ assistant bring Dr. Bowdish in to meet with them. As he explained the procedure, Dr. Bowdish said that he was going to make a “game time decision” as to whether a complete replacement of the ascending aorta, aortic arch, and descending aorta (elephant trunk) would be needed. Or, if the replacement of the ascending and descending aorta could be broken up into two separate surgeries, with the root, ascending aorta, and arch coming first; and the descending aorta being replaced through a minimally invasive procedure called a TEVAR, at a later date. This second option is what Dr. Bowdish and his team would opt for. The TEVAR is a minimally invasive procedure where a sheath is inserted into aorta with a catheter through the groin, leading to a shorter hospital stay and less discomfort for the patient. Throughout all my interactions with Dr. Bowdish, I appreciated his candor. In his presentation to my family, Dr. Bowdish didn’t pretend to know all the answers about exactly which procedure he would decide upon once his team had me opened up. But he did convey absolute confidence that he would be able to skillfully execute for any contingency once he and his team could have a closer look at my internal anatomy.

There is also a genetic aspect to my diagnosis. Aneurysms can run in families. One of my uncles died from an aortic aneurysm years ago. I had been diagnosed with a three-centimeter aneurysm two years ago. Surgery is recommended at 5 centimeters. Aneurysms like mine - while fatal if not treated - are often asymptomatic and can only be detected in two ways: either through scans confirming that the 5 cm threshold has been reached and that surgery is needed; or, through a sudden, painful episode in which one may have just minutes or hours before the aneurysm ruptures, causing fatal internal bleeding within just one to two minutes. In my case, I had not had a follow up scan of my aorta since the 3 cm aneurysm was detected a few years ago. My painful attack was my only and final warning. That is why I applaud efforts to encourage annual scans for patients with a known risk, including those from families with a history of aneurysms. I also support efforts to promote aneurysm education throughout the medical community, as awareness of this silent killer has only been emerging in recent years.

I was nervous as I awaited surgery. But the environment in the cardiac unit at Cedars gave me comfort. My room had a view of the large glass bridge structure that unites the main hospital with the critical care tower on floors three through eight. As I lay there looking out, I was impressed at the processions of entire OR teams accompanying patients emerging from surgery and then handing them off to the waiting ICU teams. It was so meaningful to me to see the OR team going to debrief the ICU teams in the patient transfer process. Every team member looked so focused and committed. It was as if the OR team was saying to the ICU team, “we’ve done our job, now here’s what you need to know to do yours.” Witnessing these processions made me feel that patient care is the highest priority of every team member in every department at Cedars. And then, on the day of surgery as I was on my way to Pre-Op, Moxi, the robot, gave me heart and star eyes as I was wheeled onto the elevator. This thoughtful gesture from the little cyber creature that rolls through the hallways at Cedars made my day. Moxi normally hands out medications to patients. But for me - Moxi was dispensing good will. It was the humorous touch that I needed as I mentally prepared for the operation.

After a seven-hour surgery on June 13, I woke up at about 2 am the next day. Still intubated, I would remain that way until extubated at 3 am. Within another twelve hours, I was up walking in the halls of the ICU. During my stay in the ICU, I experienced post operative A-fib, which the doctors told me is not unusual. I also needed to have fluid withdrawn from my lungs with a procedure called “thoracentesis,” which is also not uncommon. After three days in the ICU, I was transferred to a regular hospital room. Dr. Bowdish visited me a few times after my surgery and stayed on top of everything. He was constantly aware of my progress. He and the staff monitored my wound recovery very closely. By June 21, eight days after the surgery, I was released from Cedars and sent to an acute rehab clinic at Huntington Hospital. I did well there until I had trouble with bleeding from a stomach ulcer that was unrelated to my valvular and aortic surgery. Units of blood were administered to replenish what I had lost. By July 12, one month after my surgery at Cedars, I was released from the rehab at Huntington. Throughout my stay at both hospitals, the doctors, nurses, and physicians’ assistants were all wonderful and fully attentive to every one of my needs.

Two months after my surgery, I feel much better. With my heart valve replaced with a cow valve, my energy has improved, and I am getting around quite well. I wore a ZIO Patch for two weeks to monitor my heart rhythm to ensure the resolution of my post operative A-Fib. My only concern is weight loss due to decreased appetite. Now, I am anticipating the minimally invasive TEVAR procedure needed to replace my descending aorta. I am comforted that Dr. Bowdish will be present for this surgery. Dr. Bowdish’s continued involvement shows that he is vested in his patients. And this is just one of the many reasons that I can recommend Dr. Bowdish so strongly to others who are in need of a surgeon for their valvular and aortic diagnoses.

As I look back, I think of Dr. Bowdish as one who communicated with me in the way that I needed. I handle difficult news and make decisions best when I am provided with lots of facts without sugar coating. Dr. Bowdish’s warm personality, and his confidence and assurances helped me along with his careful descriptions of my procedure and his treatment plan. All the members of Dr. Bowdish’s care team have great bedside manners and I felt they had a truly vested interest in making me better. I know that they’re a team because a seven-hour operation to perform delicate tasks can only be accomplished through collaboration and harmonization with people that a world class surgeon can have confidence in. Yet, when they say, “we do lots of cases like these,” there was never a sense that mine was just the next numbered ticket being called. At all times, Dr. Bowdish and his team made me feel that my case – not the hundreds of others they have done – was the most important case in the world and the only one that mattered. And this perspective summarizes how Dr. Bowdish and the care teams at Cedars and Huntington make their patients feel. For the feeling of being the most important patient of all — is the feeling that matters most."

-- Marcia G., Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Median Sternotomy, Root Replacement, 06/13/2024

"I met Dr. Bowdish in the hallways of the ER at Cedars- Sinai. I had the extreme good fortune that Dr. Bowdish was assigned to me. I had been admitted a few hours earlier and was unclear about what the problem was, except that I had trouble breathing. My primary care doctor had sent me to the ER after getting my blood work test results.

Dr. Bowdish introduced himself. He gave me a preliminary diagnosis of what he thought the problem was, but I would need further testing that day. He was steady, kind, and most importantly correct in his early diagnosis. I needed an aortic valve replacement (bovine) due to a serious infection that I had gotten, but didn't know how and the aortic stem seemed to be dilated and needed some kind of mesh repair.

I also had a heart murmur that was causing some leakage. He was aware that it was a lot for me and my husband to take in. And made sure that we understood that surgery was necessary. I had never spent a day in a hospital, prior to this.

Dr. Bowdish made sure I had all my questions answered and checked in on my on an almost daily basis prior to the operation, while a Cedars, prior to the surgery, filling me in on what that day's test results were.

I was concerned about post operative pain and he reassured me that it would be more discomfort than pain. Once again he was correct. The surgery went well. I spent a day in ICU. And was discharged on a Saturday after a Monday surgery.

My recovery has been gloriously straight forward and without any incident. I have had several follow up visits with him and all looks great. I feel great also. I highly, highly recommend Dr. Bowdish. My heart was in his very skilled hands.

I went into surgery confident and relaxed. And for open heart surgery, it wasn't all that hard. Who knew?"

-- Alexis Genya, Aortic Valve, Mitral Valve, Valve Repair, Valve Replacement, Root Replacement, 06/03/2024

"Five years prior to my surgery, I was having a routine blood panel done every six months when my doctor asked if I knew that I had a heart murmur. My primary care doctor then authorized an echocardiogram. This is when I learned that I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve, meaning that my aortic valve had two leaflets, instead of the normal three. It can take years for this congenital defect to finally produce symptoms. My symptoms came from aortic stenosis, a narrowing of the aortic valve due to calcification, which is common in people with bicuspid aortic valves.

With aortic stenosis, not enough oxygenated blood is circulated throughout the body, leading to the feelings of weakness and being out of breath. I knew that someday my symptoms would get worse as my valve started to leak more and that I would eventually need surgery. For the first few years after my diagnosis, my cardiologist kept telling me that my valve was getting narrower, but that I had not yet reached the point of needing surgery. And there was another danger: the increased pressure of the blood flowing through my defective heart valve had caused a dangerous expansion of the aorta, the large blood vessel carrying blood away from my heart. This expansion is called an aneurysm and can lead to a sudden, fatal bursting of the great vessel. And so, I kept having that feeling in the back of my mind that I would someday need surgery. I managed that feeling by telling myself, “I am cool.” But as the years passed, I stated getting winded walking up hills. Unsettling experiences began to accumulate. I would have trouble climbing stairs. Even walking was taxing, and would leave me needing to rest a few minutes just to catch my breath. I had reached a point where I no longer wanted to live this way. It was then that my cardiologist looked me in the eye and said, “the time for surgery has come.”

That is when I found Dr. Bowdish. My cardiologist referred me to the Cedars-Sinai affiliate, Huntington Health, where Dr. Bowdish was the team member selected due to his combination of aortic and valvular expertise. And as heart surgery goes, it was great. But to be clear – this was a scary experience. The fears mounted: the fear of a big operation; anxiety about the future of my family; and the fear of death – all built up in inside of me. But as these feelings churned inside me, I came to an epiphany: and that was the realization that we are all so fortunate to live in a time and place where we can go through surgeries like this and expect not only to survive – but to thrive. I knew that I had at least a 99% chance of surviving and having a much, much better life. I kept telling myself, “Don’t be a baby.” And I could center myself around the realization that “it’s not going to be so bad.” I decided to live in the 99% (or greater) chance of a successful outcome, instead of the 1% (or less) chance of mortality. And I appreciated the way that Dr. Bowdish spoke with me. He gave me the facts in a straightforward way that projected confidence without condescension. Dr. Bowdish gave me a really strong sense of the deep experience of his team, and that “we know how to do this.” Dr. Bowdish’s clarity and confidence really helped.

Two and a half months after being told that the time for surgery had arrived, I had my surgery. The worst part of the experience was waking up with a tube in my throat. I had been told to expect this. Being heavily drugged probably helped. During these first hours following surgery, I was tapping Morse Code to the nurses and my family. I was also in pain just from lying down and could not wait to sit up. But I didn’t have to wait long to have my wishes granted. The tube was out later that first day, and the very next day I was up and walking two to three laps around the ward.

Arriving for my surgery on a Tuesday, I was released home on Saturday with orders to start walking. I was told that my post operative fever that weekend was not unusual, and it did go away soon, as promised. Six days after my surgery, on the following Monday, I was walking on a treadmill. Within a few weeks, I was able to walk a couple of miles.

Now, five months after my surgery, my symptoms are all gone. I had forgotten how good it feels to have a normal life. I recently visited a town in South Carolina and asked my wife, “weren’t these sidewalks steeper last year?” Now, as I climb the stairs within my home office, that feeling of windedness simply never comes. It’s an amazing feeling to have the years of accumulating worry behind me, and to finally know that my heart is healthy. And so, I feel very strongly in recommending Dr. Bowdish and his entire team. I also must give a special shout out to the nurses in the ICU. Dr. Bowdish’s nurse practitioner, Sunita, is especially great. The entire staff in the ICU is simply wonderful. They always made me feel so well cared for - as if I was never out of sight or mind. I am glad that I came to the realization that we live in times when the greatest healthcare is now possible, and that people can survive great challenges and go on to live fulfilling lives. For it is a realization that Dr. Bowdish and his team justify with every patient they treat."

-- James McCarthy, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Median Sternotomy, Root Replacement, 04/16/2024

"Dr. Bowdish was just incredible! He was very informative as to why I needed surgery and instilled confidence in me that this was the right thing to do and that I would be fine. I owe Dr. Bowdish my life and can never thank them enough for the great work he does."

-- Joseph Scott, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, MitraClip, Root Replacement, Coronary Artery Bypass, Maze Procedure, 03/25/2024

"Years ago – and I’m not entirely sure when – I experienced a kind of uneasiness in my chest that was difficult to define. I can only describe it as a kind of weirdness in the pressures and muscles in the center of my chest. Knowing that no symptom should ever be ignored, I went straight to my straight to my GP. And it was my GP who then referred me to my cardiologist, Dr. Roth. The tests he did included a treadmill and CT scan. When the scan showed that my aorta, the large blood vessel carrying fresh pumped blood from my heart, had become enlarged, he told me that we would have to start watching it closely. If it went above a certain threshold in diameter, surgery would be needed to fix it to prevent it from a sudden, fatal rupture. Over the years, we did our best to manage it with a cocktail of meds for blood pressure, cholesterol, and beta blockers to keep my stress level down. As the years passed, and my aorta continued to expand, it was clear that the time for surgery had finally come. I would need to have both my ascending aorta and aortic valve replaced, as the excessive blood flow from a leaky aortic valve on top of my heart was contributing to the dangerous expansion of my aorta.

My cardiologist, Dr. Roth, immediately referred me to Dr. Cohen, a surgeon at Cedars- Sinai Huntington Health in Pasadena. I knew it was serious when I saw Dr. Cohen because he’s known and respected as a heavy hitter. It was then that Dr. Cohen introduced me to the surgeon that he recommended most for my diagnosis - Dr. Bowdish. Dr. Cohen highly respects Dr. Bowdish for his experience and expertise in aortic root and valve replacements and assured me that I would be in the best of hands. And it turned out that he was right. Dr. Bowdish was the right hands to be in, for sure. He answered all my questions and helped me feel more comfortable. I also did some of my own homework. As I prepared for surgery, I was fascinated by the process and did some research online in advance. With the Internet, I was able to read about everything from the heart-lung machine that did the work of my heart and lungs during surgery, and even the tool used to cut my sternum. When I later asked Dr. Bowdish how on earth he could ever sew in my new aortic arch, he just smiled and said, “that’s the easy part.” Coming to understand the amazing work that these surgeons do helped me to gain a sense of control that gave me comfort and confidence going into my surgery.

When the time for my surgery finally did come, it was all smooth sailing. There were highs and lows in an experience like this, of course. Dealing with IV’s, needle sticks, and catheters are always a part of any major surgery like this. But I just kept working through it and enduring it because that is the best you can do. And remarkably, I recovered faster than I thought. When I was rolled in to the OR for my surgery, I remember seeing the anesthesiologist and the rest of the team assembled there. I later figured out that there must have been sixteen of them. I knew from my reading that each of them was an expert in their own part of the procedure and that they would all act as a team to do their part.

I just said, “I hope you guys do a good job,” and the next thing I knew, I was waking up in the ICU. The entire surgical team walked in and gave me one of those inhalers with the five balls in it. I blew into it and they said I did great. They also gave me one of those red pillows to hold up to my chest when I coughed so that the force of the cough wouldn’t disrupt my sutures. During my five to six days in the hospital, I was up and walking within a day or two of surgery. And the nursing staff was wonderful. I actually have pleasant memories of commiserating with the nursing staff at 3 o’clock in the morning when I happened to be awake.

But as much as I appreciated and loved the nursing staff, my most special memory is of my wife serving as my caretaker. My wife became my champion, my advocate, and the best nurse I had ever had. She kept me well fed after my surgery, saw to it that I took all my meds, and kept daily records of my blood pressure and food intake. She walked me around the Rose Bowl and had me walking up to one mile within a week of leaving the hospital. Having loving family close during a major surgery really improved my experience. And my wife’s care certainly made my recovery seem faster for me.

If I could share one sage piece of advice, it would be to invest in a Lazy-Boy recliner chair. Having that electric recliner option to help me get up and down during the first few weeks after my surgery as my wound was healing made a world of difference for me. My wonder-chair took the stress off the muscles in my chest and made the transition from standing to sitting a breeze when I needed that help the most. My mechanical recliner chair became my favorite nap destination, especially during those early weeks.

I am pleased to say that I actually have no great story to share – and it’s nice that I can actually say that considering the complexity of my surgery. Dr. Bowdish and his team of other doctors and nurses are the most capable, kind, and incredibly skilled group of care takers that anyone could ever hope for. They anticipate all the possible issues and take care of them so that their patients don’t have to think about them so much. So, would I recommend Dr. Bowdish? Absolutely! All five stars out of five. And I’d add a sixth star to be sure that my point comes across!"

-- Theodore Von der Ahe, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Root Replacement, 08/21/2023

"I was referred to Dr. Bowdish by Dr. Robbin Cohen, the Doctor who had been following my condition since 2020. In early 2023 Dr. Cohen informed me that I was ready for surgery. I met with Dr. Bowdish and I was very satisfied with experience and his willingness to take the time to talk with me and explain the details of the procedure.

Together, Doctors Cohen and Bowdish agreed to perform the surgery together at Huntington Memorial Hospital. My surgery was scheduled approximately two weeks after my meeting with Dr. Bowdish.

My surgery took place on June 30, 2023. The surgery was quite successful and the doctors were able to complete the aortic root graft and spare my aortic valve. My recovery was one week in the hospital. Dr. Bowdish came in to check on me several times during my hospital stay.

I had several follow up office visits with Dr. Bowdish in the months that followed my surgery. My overall experience with Dr. Bowdish was great. "

-- Jay Jessie , Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacement, 06/30/2023

"I can truly say that Dr. Bowdish brought me back from the brink. Life is good in the Tennessee countryside about an hour south of Nashville. But in the spring of 2023, I endured an experience that nearly cost me everything. I was in LA on business back in April when I started to realize that I wasn’t feeling well. I became so sick that I was delirious and disoriented. It reached the point where my colleagues found me on a bench at LAX when I made an unsuccessful attempt to return home. I am grateful that they knew to ask the ambulance driver to take me to Cedars-Sinai. It was then that doctors realized that the culprit behind this was MRSA, a bacterial infection that can be hard to treat. To make matters worse, my MRSA had entered my bloodstream and became sepsis - a general infection throughout my entire body. The condition can be fatal if not treated properly and immediately.

We also then learned that the cause was from a mechanical heart valve implanted in Nashville fourteen years before. The valve had become infected. And with each beat of my heart, the infection was being spread throughout my entire body. This is when Dr. Bowdish became involved. Although Dr. Bowdish wanted to save my life by replacing the infected heart valve as soon as possible, a life-threatening stroke occurred because of the infection, and this got in the way of the heart surgery that I so desperately needed. For the infection had caused dangerous swollen areas on my heart valve and aorta called abscesses. An abscess is a swollen area filled with pus. Every time my heart would beat, it would throw off tiny clots of blood, pus and fat, called emboli, which then clogged my brain causing a stroke. The infection then traveled to my brain, causing abscesses to form there, as well.

My situation was dire and required the best medical team possible. The infection had to be treated in two ways and on two fronts: both with antibiotics and with surgery- and in both my brain and my heart. Miraculously, the antibiotics were successful in reducing the infection, which is never assured with an infection as dangerous as MRSA. Secondly, the stroke needed to be treated with blood thinners. But it had to be just the right amount of blood thinners, as bleeding in my brain made too much anti- coagulation equally dangerous. And third, I needed brain surgery to remove the infected tissue from my brain that was continuing to spread the infection just as the heart valve was. My first surgical salvation was a procedure called a craniotomy to open my skull so that the surgeon could remove two infected clumps of brain matter. This procedure was performed by Dr. Michael Alexander. I feel extremely blessed that this surgery was a success, as it finally cleared the way for Dr. Bowdish to perform my heart surgery.

I was treated in the intensive care unit for the infection, stroke, and brain bleeding for five weeks before Dr. Bowdish could finally perform my heart surgery. Understandably, the ongoing ordeal took a toll on my entire family. I do not think I could have made it through without the support of my loving wife, who tended to me each day, both remotely from Tennessee, and then in person when she arrived in Los Angeles. My mother and my 19-year-old son also traveled to Los Angeles to be with me. Perhaps the hardest part of all of this was my son being afraid about the possibility of losing his father. For when I was first admitted, it was a very real possibility that I might not survive that first weekend. I was so grateful that my mother was there to talk my son through it. Because it was a lot for my son to handle.

To make matters worse, during the time that I was infected, the delirium prevented me from being myself. At first, I was angry. I was angry at the delays due to the bleeding in my brain, the stroke, and the infection that were preventing me from getting the surgery with Dr. Bowdish that I so desperately needed. My condition was also compounded by kidney damage, which may have been a side-effect of the antibiotics. I lay there in the intensive care unit for five weeks wishing that I could go outside. But what got me and my family through it all was the Cedars nurses, who were so constantly good to me.

The nursing staff helped me work through my anger. I met so many wonderful nurses in the different rooms that I stayed in. I cannot remember all their names. But they all kept me hopeful that I would get better and get out of the hospital. Throughout the entire experience, Dr. Bowdish came to visit me each day to check on me. Both Dr. Bowdish and the nurses constantly assured me that I was “trending upward.” And after five weeks in intensive care, after antibiotics and brain surgery reduced the infection and blood thinners reduced the stroke, my surgery with Dr. Bowdish could finally be set for May 26.

As Dr. Bowdish was finally able to perform my heart surgery, he realized that my heart infection had spread beyond the aortic valve to the entire aortic root and the ascending aorta above my heart. This meant that a much more comprehensive heart procedure would be needed to remove the infected tissue. First, because I had a heart valve replacement in 2014, I would need a redo-sternotomy, meaning that prior scar tissue over my sternum would have to be cut through to gain access to my heart. This often adds one hour to the length of the operation. Second, to prevent the infection from recurring, Dr. Bowdish wanted to replace my mechanical aortic valve with a cow valve called a bovine valve. Further, because my heart infection had become so advanced, small, infected growths called vegetations had formed on my tricuspid valve in addition to the swollen, pus-filled abscesses that had formed on my aortic valve, root, and ascending aorta. The tricuspid vegetation had to be removed by a surgical process called debridement. And the infected aortic valve, root, and ascending aorta would need to be replaced altogether. This is a highly complex operation that not all surgeons are capable of performing. But my google search prior to surgery had told me that Dr. Bowdish is one of the top heart surgeons in the world. I knew I was in good hands. And I prayed that I was in God’s hands, as well.

Having been through heart surgery 14 years before, I knew how to be a partner in my own care, and I knew what to expect. I knew that I would wake up with tubes in my chest. Part of the initial recovery process is to reach certain benchmarks that justify the removal of the tubes. After just four days, I was ready to have the tubes removed. And that was a turning point in my recovery. Two days later, I was miraculously up and walking again.

Twelve days after the surgery, I was finally ready to be released from the hospital. My top priority was to remain hyper-vigilant to ensure that the infection had been treated and had not returned. I was released to a hotel across the street from Cedars-Sinai, where I would stay for an additional ten days before returning to Tennessee. I would spend 14 days on antibiotics after being discharged and my wife had to learn how to administer treatment through the PICC line (peripherally inserted central catheter) in my chest. As I recovered from the surgery, my anger also subsided, and my wife was relieved that I was able to be myself again.

During the first month following my return to Tennessee, physical therapy helped me to get my strength back. I truly enjoy therapy, as each session helps me to affirm that I'm getting back into shape. I lost 45 pounds during the ordeal. For my revenge meal, I indulged at Chick-Filet and started putting some healthy weight back on again. For I believe that revenge is a dish best-served deep fried on a bun! And I might even return to Chick-Filet and do it again! I think I’ve earned it! Thanks to Dr. Bowdish and the entire team at Cedars-Sinai, I have so much to look forward to now. Having come so close to losing everything, I live each day with newfound appreciation. My 19-year-old son is one of a kind. I pray for him as he pursues his future at a local Community College here in Tennessee and I cannot wait to see what he accomplishes with his future. I also built a new house with my mother, and I can now look forward to living in it.

Moving forward, I will have to deal with some long-term side-effects from the stroke. I have a blind spot in one eye and some weakness in my left side which may prevent me from being able to drive again. But my employer has been very understanding and supportive, and has arranged for me to do my job remotely from home. So many of us are fortunate that technology now enables us to work remotely.

Dr. Bowdish and the care team at Cedars-Sinai saved me under the most imposing of circumstances imaginable. It is impossible to measure the depth of my gratitude for my doctors and nurses, all of whom who kept encouraging me and providing the most advanced treatments available for challenges that most other hospitals likely could not have treated. They are truly miracle workers. I can only give two thumbs up for Dr. Bowdish. And I would recommend him with a hundred more thumbs if I had them!"

-- Josh Gregory, Aortic Valve, Tricuspid Valve, Valve Repair, Valve Replacement, Reoperation, Root Replacement, 05/26/2023

"My challenge began with an infection of the lining of my heart chambers and valves called “endocarditis.” The infection had ravaged my heart, causing me to need new aortic and mitral valves, as well as a patch repair of my ascending aorta, which is the large blood vessel branching off the top of the heart as it carries blood to the entire body. My pacemaker and the pouch where it had been implanted had also become contaminated by the infection. I am lucky that the infection did not kill me — which it nearly did. The bacteria causing the infection entered my heart from my bloodstream. And it may have entered my bloodstream from an infection somewhere else in my body. When I was first treated in a hospital in my home community, a pic line had carried antibiotics directly into my chest. Over five to six weeks, I lost twenty pounds. Although the infection started to recede with treatments, I still needed surgery to repair the damage to my heart. The surgery to repair all the damage was too complex to be done at the hospital in the smaller community where I live. And so, my cardiologist referred me to Cedars-Sinai and to Dr. Michael Bowdish for a higher level of care, which is common with more advanced cases like mine.

I could not have had a better referral. Dr. Bowdish has a way with patients that is very concerned, thorough, friendly, and direct. He was very honest that there is a 6-9% risk of complications and mortality for my kind of surgery. At one point, when I just ran in to Dr. Bowdish as I was walking into a building at Cedars, he took thirty minutes just to talk with me. Dr. Raymond Schaerf, who helped with my pacemaker, also had a very pleasant bedside manner. The nursing staff at Cedars was also wonderful.

After the surgery, I was surprised that I wasn’t in much pain. When I had a question about some tingling in my chest following surgery, it was investigated during a visit to the ER. It was determined that it was an issue with the new pacemaker adjusting. The tingling soon went away. An issue with post-operative edema was also addressed and resolved quickly by the clinicians at Cedars, who treated my concerns with the upmost urgency and respect.

Three months after the surgery, I feel great. I can say that I am 95% back to normal, and expect to be 100% normal, soon. I am very grateful to Dr. Bowdish and to his staff of physicians and nurses for taking on my complex case, and for making a life-threatening situation both survivable and manageable. Their friendly and supportive way coupled with world-class surgical skills enabled me to recover and get back to the life I so enjoy living."

-- John Langpap, Aortic Valve, Mitral Valve, Valve Replacement, 07/22/2022

"Born with a bicuspid aortic valve, I met Dr. Bowdish, who was referred to me by my cardiologist, the same day that I scheduled my surgery. He was very professional and answered all of my and my family's questions before and after surgery as well as my follow up visit. Doctor Bowdish obviously enjoys what he does and takes a lot of pride in his work. I would highly recommend him to anyone needing surgery."

-- Renee Wicker, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Median Sternotomy, 03/12/2010