I just received a great question from Carol about traveling for heart valve surgery.

She writes, “I have concerns about choosing a hospital that is highly regarded for heart valve replacement surgery ^[1] but out of town. Have any of your readers traveled significant distances for their surgeries? Were there any problems? How did they handle follow-ups? Thanks, Carol”

Carol raises a very good point. In fact, her email reminded me of my gut reaction when I was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis ^[2] and told I needed surgery.

“Even though I live in California, I’m going to The Cleveland Clinic or The Mayo Clinic!” I thought to myself. “No messing around… I want the best surgeon… That surgeon must be in Ohio or Minnesota.”

So you know, that is a very, very, very common thought among many of the patients and caregivers I have spoken with over the years. Interestingly enough, that thought often turns into reality for some patients. So you know, I recently learned that over 50% of heart surgery patients at The Cleveland Clinic are not residents of Ohio (e.g. Robin Williams ^[3]).

However, when I took the time to research and evaluate surgeons for the procedure I wanted, I found some heart valve gurus right in my own backyard. As I live in Los Angeles, I located several, highly regarded surgeons within 10 miles from my home – including Dr. Starnes (USC), Dr. Trento (Cedars) and Dr. Shemin (UCLA).

I admit, I was lucky. This is often not the case for many, many, many, patients out there. As a result, patients must travel – by car, by plane – to have surgery done.

Mary Billings – Heart Valve Surgery Patient
(Traveled From Fiji To Los Angeles)

In fact, I know patients from Fiji, Trinidad, Somalia, The Philippines and Malaysia that have traveled to the United States for surgery. Recently, I featured a story about Patrick’s journey to The Cleveland Clinic from Brazil ^[4].

The points I am trying to make are two-fold.

• First, each patient case is unique. Please take the time to evaluate your surgical needs. Then, research the surgeons and hospital that provide the best care for you.
• Second, traveling for heart valve surgery does occur – and, quite frequently. That said, many hospitals have services to make your pre- and post-operative time very manageable.

I believe several of our readers did, in fact, travel for their heart surgery. If you are one of them, can you help Carol? Simply click here ^[5] to leave a comment. We would love to read about your experience.

Keep on tickin!