Wow… thanks for the star treatment! Hey, do I have to have bypass surgery to get all this attention?

I did want to share a couple of things I’ve been learning along the way.

I have spoken with three surgeons who are all well known and proficient at mitral valve repair surgery and all three are different in the way they approach what the patient needs to do PRIOR to surgery.

I really liked my surgeon’s approach. I believe that the fewer invasive tests we have to put ourselves through, the better. The other surgeons I spoke to said I would have to have an angiogram (cath procedure) prior to surgery to rule out any coronary artery disease. If I *did* have blockages they would then address those during my mitral valve surgery.

Dr. Shemin said I could have a 64-slice coronary artery CT scan. This is such an easy test on the patient. You do get contrast dye intravenously during the test but it is of short duration and the “discomfort” is practically non existent. You might feel a little warm. This amazing scan can do a 3-D reconstruction of your arteries and show if there are any calcifications/blockages.

My test came back clear, so my surgeon said I did NOT need to have an angiogram. This spared me a lost day at the hospital, anesthesia, a groin incision, and all the rest that goes with the cath procedure.

Also, some surgeons want you to have a TEE (trans esophageal echo) before surgery. But two of the surgeons I spoke with said it is sufficient to have the TEE while you are on the table, since they do that procedure anyway once you are under anesthesia.

These are two invasive tests that possibly can be avoided - it all depends on your own circumstances and your surgeon, but I have been very glad not to have to go through either of these pre op. It is enough to deal with the surgery itself. So shop around, do your homework, read everything you can online, talk to different surgeons, and make your choices.

Just thought I’d share.

As always, thanks for all you do. It means so much.

Best,
Leslie