http://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/heart-surgery-blog/2008/06/30/dr-chitwood-performs-his-400th-robot-assisted-mitral-valve-repair-says-edwards-lifesciences/#comment-5435 Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:56:52 +0000 http://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/heart-surgery-blog/2008/06/30/dr-chitwood-performs-his-400th-robot-assisted-mitral-valve-repair-says-edwards-lifesciences/#comment-5435 Adam I really appreciate all of the information and support that you are providing for we the "weak of heart" public. I am in the beginning stages of a mitral valve replacement. I am scheduled for a T.E.E. next Monday to get a little more information for the surgeon. I have a couple of questions for you if you don't mind. I live in the Sacramento area and have Kaiser insurance. In the past I have heard some real horror stories about Kaiser. It's all my work provides and to this point I have been extremely healthy so I did not worry too much about the level of care given at Kaiser. Have you heard any feedback from anyone else about the level of care I can expect to receive if I have a Kaiser doctor and hospital perform my surgery? I am not what I would call well off, but I might be able to finance this on my own if I thought it was worth the difference in care. At this point, the cardiologist I have spoken to says that she does not feel that I would be a candidate for mitral valve repair. I guess the leaflets did not form right to begin with and they are in a shape not condusive to repair, in her opinion. If I stick with my insurance, I can always ask for a second opinion, but I wonder if the next doctor will have any more information than the first. Do you know of a good surgeon in this area that I could, at the very least, have take a look at my information to confirm that I would not qualify for repair instead of replacement. I guess I can think of at least one more question for you if you don't mind. I am 45 years old. I live, at this time, a very active lifestyle. I enjoy softball, dirtbiking, playing with grandkids, and just about any kind of activity that could cause some really nasty internal bleeding if I were on blood thinners. At this point I am mostly only considering tissue valve replacements. Is there a big difference in the amount of time I can expect one valve to last as compared to another as far as makers? The only cardiologist that I have talked to so far said that she was not sure if I could even get a tissue mitral valve any more. She said she had not seen one in quite a while. If it comes to it, are the suppliers of the valves open to me contacting them for information to give to my doctors? Besides the lifestyle, my mindset and beliefs steer me away from taking drugs of any kind any more than absolutely neccessary. I really don't want a mechanical valve, but I would really like to not have to have 2 to 3 more surgeries in my lifetime. Thanks so much for you time Don Adam
I really appreciate all of the information and support that you are providing for we the “weak of heart” public. I am in the beginning stages of a mitral valve replacement. I am scheduled for a T.E.E. next Monday to get a little more information for the surgeon. I have a couple of questions for you if you don’t mind.
I live in the Sacramento area and have Kaiser insurance. In the past I have heard some real horror stories about Kaiser. It’s all my work provides and to this point I have been extremely healthy so I did not worry too much about the level of care given at Kaiser. Have you heard any feedback from anyone else about the level of care I can expect to receive if I have a Kaiser doctor and hospital perform my surgery? I am not what I would call well off, but I might be able to finance this on my own if I thought it was worth the difference in care.
At this point, the cardiologist I have spoken to says that she does not feel that I would be a candidate for mitral valve repair. I guess the leaflets did not form right to begin with and they are in a shape not condusive to repair, in her opinion. If I stick with my insurance, I can always ask for a second opinion, but I wonder if the next doctor will have any more information than the first. Do you know of a good surgeon in this area that I could, at the very least, have take a look at my information to confirm that I would not qualify for repair instead of replacement.
I guess I can think of at least one more question for you if you don’t mind. I am 45 years old. I live, at this time, a very active lifestyle. I enjoy softball, dirtbiking, playing with grandkids, and just about any kind of activity that could cause some really nasty internal bleeding if I were on blood thinners. At this point I am mostly only considering tissue valve replacements. Is there a big difference in the amount of time I can expect one valve to last as compared to another as far as makers?
The only cardiologist that I have talked to so far said that she was not sure if I could even get a tissue mitral valve any more. She said she had not seen one in quite a while. If it comes to it, are the suppliers of the valves open to me contacting them for information to give to my doctors? Besides the lifestyle, my mindset and beliefs steer me away from taking drugs of any kind any more than absolutely neccessary. I really don’t want a mechanical valve, but I would really like to not have to have 2 to 3 more surgeries in my lifetime.
Thanks so much for you time
Don

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