Adam’s Heart Valve Surgery Blog

Topic: Getting a second opinion for heart valve repair, heart valve replacement or any form of cardiac surgery.

Recently, I was asked about the need for getting second opinions. Specifically, I was asked, “Do I really need to get a second opinion?”

My response was an emphatic, “ARE YOU NUTS? OF COURSE!!!!”

Okay, maybe I wasn’t that dramatic but I was very open about the NEED for getting second opinions from both your cardiologist and your cardiac surgeon.

Why should someone potentially needing heart valve surgery get a second opinion?

There are two key reasons.

First, heart surgery is probably one of the most invasive surgeries that exists. The only surgery, in my opinion, that is even close in severity is brain surgery. That said, you must be sure that your symptoms constitute a true need for the operation.

This may sound odd to some of you… But, when my second cardiologist confirmed that I needed an aortic valve replacement following my second echocardiogram, I WAS RELIEVED.

That’s right. I was relieved because there was consensus from two separate and completely distinct doctors that the regurgitation and stenosis in my valve was impacting my health and well-being.

Next, I went to two separate cardiothoracic surgeons to discuss my surgical options - Dr. Alfredo Trento (Cedars Sinai) and Dr. Vaughn Starnes (USC) in Los Angeles. Again, I was relieved that both surgeons felt that I was a qualified candidate for a special aortic valve replacement surgery known as the Ross Procedure.

Following my second opinions, I slept better knowing there was consensus regarding the best surgical approach to fix my valve defect. (I had a bicuspid aortic valve that was very calcified.)

The second reason I suggest you get a second opinion if you are considering heart valve surgery has to do with an awful story revealed in a book called Coronary. Have you heard of it yet? Well, here’s the overview:

CORONARY BOOK OVERVIEW: In 2002, a Catholic priest named John Corapi had his heart checked out by Dr. Chae Hyun Moon. The celebrated cardiologist, who practiced at a Redding (Calif.) hospital owned by giant for-profit Tenet Healthcare Corp. (THC ), responded to Corapi’s symptoms of exhaustion and shortness of breath with five of the scariest words in the English language: “You need a triple bypass.”

Thus begins the tale of the priest, the doctor, and the multibillion-dollar hospital chain, recounted in penetrating detail in Coronary: A True Story of Medicine Gone Awry. Fortunately, as author Stephen Klaidman reports, Corapi then got opinions from three other doctors, all of whom said no surgery was needed since his arteries were completely healthy. The priest went to the FBI. An ensuing investigation and a raft of civil lawsuits turned up more than 600 patients who were allegedly subjected to unnecessary heart procedures by Moon and a colleague, Dr. Fidel Realyvasquez. The scandal, along with simultaneous revelations that Tenet may have improperly billed Medicare by as much as $760 million a year, brought what was the nation’s second-largest hospital chain to its knees. And it provided forceful evidence that the drive for profits can put patients in mortal danger.

Klaidman, an ex-reporter at The New York Times and The Washington Post and a former health-policy researcher, deftly intertwines elements of a medical mystery story with disturbing details about corporate greed. So profit-focused was Tenet, Klaidman discovered, that it required each hospital CFO to submit monthly reports on individual doctors’ contributions to the bottom line. Redding Medical Center (RMC), home base to Moon and Realyvasquez, was a cash cow, generating $3,181 in revenue per patient per day, or twice Tenet’s average. What’s more, in 2002 its pretax income soared 31%, to $93.6 million. Drawing on medical records, depositions, FBI files, and interviews, Klaidman brings this culture to life, offering vivid dialogue and scene-setting.

With all of the above said, “Ready for that Second Opinion?”

Keep on tickin,

Adam

Adam Pick is the author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery, a unique book which integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of an actual heart valve surgery patient. This special book divides the valve surgery process into four sections which address the challenges and opportunities faced by both patients and caregivers. To learn more about Adam’s heart valve surgery book, click here.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 22nd, 2007 at 12:04 am and is filed under Heart Valve Surgery, Email Bag. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Print This Post | EMail This Post.