There is nothing better than waking up in the morning, putting on my robe and slippers, grabbing a cup of coffee, turning on my computer and reading an inspirational, patient story like the one below. Plus, Jarrett’s thoughts about the “waddling penguins” and the “Adam Tinmen” made me giggle. That said, I thought you might like to read about Jarrett Roberts. He writes:

Hi Adam,

Valentine’s day – with the emphasis on love and hearts – has taken on a new meaning to me and my wife as I am on day 22 of my “second chance at life” as I had my bicuspid aortic valve repaired by Dr. Bruce Lytle at the Cleveland Clinic on January 23, 2009.

Jarrett Roberts – Arctic Marathoner And Valve Repair Patient

I found it interesting (at the Cleveland Clinic) to be one of the younger patients in for surgery.  The nurses were all excited that a 6′ 7″ marathoner – I’ve done 83 including Antartica in 2005 – was in for surgery (as they normally get the unusual heart valve cases that other clinics won’t touch).

My bicuspid aortic valve was accidentally discovered less than two years ago during a routine cardiac calcium CT that was misdiagnosed as an aortic aneurysm.  The follow-up tests showed that the radiologist had flipped the numbers and I didn’t have an aortic aneurysm. However, I did have a bicuspid congenital defect of my aortic valve.

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What a week for those interested in the topic of heart valve surgery!!!

First, we learned that Barbara Bush was recovering from aortic valve replacement! Then, news reports started buzzing about Robin Williams’ need for heart valve surgery on his aortic valve.

As a result, my email inbox has been flooded with interesting questions about all types of heart valve surgery – especially aortic valve replacement.

Aortic Valve Replacement – Positioning A Prosthetic Valve

One of the questions comes from Tina about the frequency of aortic valve replacement. She writes, “Hi Adam – I’ve been diagnosed with aortic stenosis, like Barbara Bush, and will need surgery soon. I’m a fit, 63-year old grandmother and have never had any medical procedures before this. I’m scared but learning lots through your blog and book. One thing I’m curious to know is how many aortic valves are replaced each year?”

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It appears that the former first lady of the United States, Barbara Bush, is not the only well-known person to be having heart valve surgery these days.

I just learned that one of my favorite comedians, Robin Williams, will need aortic valve surgery shortly. The actor and comedian was on an eighty-city tour called “Weapons of Self-Destruction” when he began to experience shortness of breath – a very common symptom of valve disorders including aortic stenosis and aortic regurgitation.

Robin Williams To Undergo Heart Valve Surgery

According to his publicist and website, hospital tests showed that Robin Williams would need his aortic valve replaced. I have yet to learn when the surgery is scheduled and which type of valvular disease is negatively impacting the flow of blood across his aortic valve.

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Yesterday, Barbara Bush, at 83 years of age, joined a long list of public figures to have undergone successful heart valve surgery.

The former first lady, Barbara Bush, underwent open-heart surgery Wednesday to replace her aortic valve, a family spokesman said. Barbara Bush’s heart surgery took place at Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas and lasted about two and a half hours.

Barbara Bush – Heart Valve Surgery Patient

Bush, like many patients, was suffering from shortness of breath due to aortic stenosis. This valvular disease results from a narrowing of the heart valve which may occur due to congenital factors, calcification or infection.

Dr. Gerald Lawrie, a heart surgeon at the Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, replaced the aortic valve with a biological tissue valve that was most likely a pig valve or a cow valve. Doctor Lawrie stated, “I expect her to recover fully and soon resume her normal activities,” Lawrie said.

Dr. Gerald Lawrie – Barbara Bush’s Heart Surgeon

According to reports, the former president of the United States, George H.W. Bush, was at the hospital with his wife. Like most heart valve surgery patients, Barbara Bush remained in the intensive care unit following the operation. The hospital said the former first lady was expected to be released in seven-to-ten days.

George Bush said, “I am very impressed with and grateful to the wonderful team of doctors and nurses at the Methodist Hospital who have helped Barbara… We have every confidence she is in the best hands.”

VIDEO UPDATE: To see the latest update on Barbara Bush after her cardiac surgery, please click here.

Keep on tickin’ Barbara!!!

P.S. To leave a comment, please click here.

P.P.S. I just learned that actor and comedian, Robin Williams, is also having heart surgery for aortic valve replacement too. To learn more, click here.

Interest in minimally invasive procedures for heart valve surgery is increasing for both medical device manufacturers and patients. As we learned last week, Medtronic spent over $1 billion to acquire CoreValve and Ventor Technologies, two companies that specialize in non-invasive valve replacement technologies for diseased aortic valves.

From the patient perspective, the advantages of minimally invasive surgery are (i) less post-operative pain, (ii) faster recovery and (iii) lower mortality. As you have read in this blog, several of my readers have had such procedures including non-invasive robotic surgery for mitral valve repair.

Over the past few months, I’ve been receiving additional comments about minithoracotomy for aortic valve replacement and mitral valve replacement. In this type of cardiac surgery, the patient does not have a median sternotomy in which the sternum is broken (as discussed previously in “Vicki’s Thoracotomy Versus Sternotomy“).

Given this topic, I just received a very interesting patient story from Jim Engelmann. Jim, as pictured below, recently had aortic valve replacement via mini-thoracotomy.

Jim’s Mini-Thoracotomy Scar After Valve Replacement

Hi Adam,

Well, I went for it!  I had the minimally invasive surgery through a mini thoracotomy on January 19, 2009.  I really had faith in my surgeon. I believed he had a thorough process just in case there were any problems.

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