Heart Valve Surgeon Of The Month… Who Will You Nominate?

Adam,

I want to nominate Dr. Thomas Gleason at UPMC in Pittsburgh. Everything about this doctor is great. Including his bedside manner. After my lengthy surgery, he remained in ICU with me until I stabilized. My surgery started at 1PM and he remained at my bedside until 11 pm that night. From what I am told most surgeons do the surgery and leave everything else to the cardiologists ect. afterwards. Not Dr. Gleason. I truly believe that the hand of GOD touches this man as he does his surgeries.

Dr. John “Chip” Oswalt.

Dr. Gideon Cohen at the Schulich Heart centre at Sunnybrook in Toronto. Fantastic surgeon, great communicator and all around fabulous guy.

I would like to nominate Dr Matthew Slater from Oregon Health & Sciences University in Portland, Oregon. My mother had a valve replacement June 8, 2009 although she’s still recovering the care and concern in preparing for this case as well as the postoperative care was phenomenal. He answered all of our questions. Dr Slater is a wonderful surgeon

Dr. Forozan Navid of UMPC (Pittsburgh PA). I was lifeflighted to ShadySide Hospital (UMPC) with an aortic dissection. The hospital that I came from did not give me a high liklihodd of survival. I met Dr. Navid for the first time on the operating room table. He iterally saved my life. He was extrememly reassuring and comforting to my wife when he met with her late at night. He gave her alot of hope. He is an excellent surgeon and a humble and down to earth man. My family and I will be forever grateful for him. Not only is he a top surgeon in the Pittsburgh region, specializing and researching Aortic disease, he is a caring and compassionate human being. He is a wonderful example of a decent human being. I might be one of the most unluckiest guys in the world to have this happen to me, but God was looking down on me when my path crossed with Dr. Navid’s.

I would like to nominate Dr. Stephen Duff of Riverside Methodist Hospital / McConnell Heart Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Duff is a terrific surgeon. When we first met with him, he answered all our questions about this operation. He showed us the different types of valves that could be used. He was very thorough. My surgery was May 14. I was amazed at how wonderful the incision looked 4 days later. I feel that I am about 100% recouperated at this point.

My choice for Heart Surgeon of the Month would be Dr. Sabet Hashim, of Yale New Haven, CT. He is a thoracic surgeon skilled in valve replacement surgery and did the first heart transplant in Connecticut. He studied and worked with Carpentier in France. He is very personally involved with his patients, and visits each day at the hospital. He explains all of the procedure in detail. You know that you are in the hands of a skilled practitioner.

I’d like to nominate Dr. Paul S. Massimiano, from Falls Church Virgina – heart valve surgeon at INOVA Fairfax. It’s 6 months after my surgery and my scar is hardly noticeable. My MVR recovery was very easy and Dr. Massimiano’s bedside manner was outstanding.

I would have to say that I LOVE Dr. Craig Baker of USC that trained alongside of Starnes at both USC and Children’s Hospital.He is open and communicates well in a variety of situations.(And I asked A LOT of questions this time around!)
When my first replacement led to patient-prosthesis mismatch, I was pretty depressed. He assertively went ahead to check out all of the factors that needed to be addressed. What impressed me the most however, was that Dr.Baker went to ask his partners how they would proceed. He ego was not so big as to not ask for another’s opinion. (And this guy does some pretty amazing stuff.)
One other thing was truly impressive. His residents had great respect for this man. I asked one what the name of my procedure was. He said that “I wouldn’t find what he did in any text book but that he was the guy that should rewrite the textbook.”
I highly recommend this man!

I would like to nominate Dr. David Underhill from Hartford, CT. He is fine surgeon and very knowing and caring idividual. Dr. Underhill took a lot of time to explain and re-explain the procdedure he was going to use in the surgery. He went over all aspects of the surgery. He was very instrumental in easing my apprehensions and doubts. He had to replace my Aortic valve and repair my Mitral valve. He also disolved two clots in my heart. After the operation he took time to sit with my wife and explain what he had to do and why he did it and what to expect. He came into my room the next day and did the explantion over again. He and his staff are very patient orientated.
Dr. Underhill (before the Surgery) went over every possible type of surgery and valves that could be implented. The deicision was left to me and my wife, but supplied with the information from Dr. Underhill we opted for the valve from the cow and the normal tried and true open heart procedure. I now belong to the Zipper club.
I will always recommend Dr. Underhill when asked who is the best Surgeon for the heart. He is a cardiac surgeon with a heart.

I would like to enter Dr. Prem Shekar as surgeon of the month. He is at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston. In addition to being an outstanding surgeon, he is head of Team Heart ( a group of surgeons from Harvard and Brigham and Womens who donate their time each year to do heart surgery in foreign countries—most recently Ruwanda)
I recently underwent valve replacement surgery with Dr. Shekar and cannot say enough about his manner, excellent information provided to me prior to the surgery and the follow-up.

Hi!
I’d like to nominate Dr. David Adams of Mt. Sinai in NYC. I will never forget him and his wonderful caring team of professionals. It’s been 10 weeks since my mitral and tricuspid valve REPAIR, which I preferred to replacement. He is a plastic surgeon of the heart and I will be forever grateful for his superior skills and willingness to be sure that every patient gets the chance for a repair even if it means a more difficult surgery.
He gets my vote!
Gayle

I nominate Drs. David Adams and Joanna Chikwe as Heart Valve surgeons of the month. I’m not nominating them for their bedside manners, sense of humor or technical expertise…they’ve obviously cornered the market in those categories. They both deserve this honor because they are incredibly compassionate doctors and they absolutely will not accept anything less than 100% patient satisfaction. Imagine a doctor who has no problem spending 2.5 hours with you during a consultation. Showing you videos of your echo’s and explaining them frame by frame. Screening his recent surgeries for you and comparing them to ones he did years ago and explaining how far their techniques have progressed. Imagine a surgeon who receives calls from all over the world from other valvular surgeons seeking advice about their tougher cases. And finally, imagine a doctor who after doing all of the above, walks you out to the elevator, takes your hands in his and says “Don’t worry about a thing, we’ll take very good care of you, I promise you that”. Dr. Adams and Chikwe saved my life and the lives of thousands of others. The love what they do, their passion shows and everytime I think of them, I smile.

By far the Heart Surgeon of the month if not the year is Hartzell V. Schaff at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. This fine surgeon wrote the book!! I believe he is the best Valve Surgeon in the World. A true perfectionist.
M. Johnson

My accolades go to my surgeon, Dr. Farzad Najam at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC. Super bed-side manner, caring, personable, and for me a man of faith. He performed a minimally invasive technique leaving me with a 4 inch scar. My accolades extend to his office staff, one of whom didn’t like the sound of my breathing when I called in the day after discharge. She brought it to the immediate attention of Dr. Najam. I was in his office within two hours and readmitted that day with a diagnosis of pneumonia, aggressively treated and have been wonderfully recovering since.

Joseph