Adam’s Heart Valve Surgery Blog

I just received an email from Bob about cardiac care centers. He writes, “Adam - Do you happen to know what is the number one hospital in heart valve replacements? I have a mitral valve prolapse and I need a mitral valve replacement. I would like to know which are the best hospitals in the United States.”

Unfortunately, I don’t know which hospital is number 1 for heart valve replacement surgery. However, I do have one reference point for Bob regarding the top ten hospitals for heart surgery. Each year, U.S. News And World Report issues a “top 10 ranking” of the best hospitals for heart surgery. While this ranking does not indicate the quantity of heart valve replacements performed each year, it does (in some sense) indicate the quality of heart surgery which I believe is most important.

That said, this list might help you get started with your hospital and, more importantly, your surgeon selection process. Here is the link, Best Hospital For Heart Care And Heart Surgery - US News And World Report.

However, you should know that some people feel that these rankings are not properly developed and reported. For an interesting read, please see NPR’s article, Heart Hospital Rankings Don’t Reveal Picture.

ANOTHER POINT TO CONSIDER: So you know, I had my aortic valve replacement surgery at USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. You will note that this facility is not listed on the above-referenced ranking. Personally, I was more focused on finding the right surgeon than finding the right hospital. That said, I think I was incredibly lucky to find Doctor Starnes (my surgeon). Again, it’s just another point to consider.

I hope that helps you learn a little more about the number 1 hospital for heart valve replacement. Click here to leave a reply, thought or comment for Bob.

Keep on tickin!

Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery, a unique book which integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of an actual heart valve surgery patient. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.

Jamie just asked me, “Adam - My mom has been diagnosed with aortic regurgitation. The cardiologist told her that her aortic valve is clogged. As a result of the clog, she is being scheduled for more tests and a potential valve repair or replacement. Does this sound right?”

Hmmmm. I think there may be a mix-up of medical terms your mom’s condition. First, aortic regurgitation can lead to heart valve repair or heart valve replacement. That makes sense.
Now, as for the source of that regurgitation, I don’t believe it is because the aortic valve is “clogged”. It sounds like the flaps of your mom’s aortic valve are floppy - thereby creating a blood leak back into the heart.

As for the clog, I don’t know if anything is clogged in the valve. Rather, it sounds like the valve does not open-and-close properly. (That could lead to severe issues for the health of your mother’s heart.)

My gut tells me there may be something else going on here. Perhaps the reference to a clog could relate to a plaque build-up in one of her arteries arteries. As you may know, angioplasty is a procedure done to open a partially blocked blood vessel so that blood can flow through it more easily. It is most often done on arteries that deliver blood to the heart (coronary arteries) when they are narrowed or “clogged” by plaque buildup (atherosclerosis) or blood clots.

You might want to speak with your mom’s cardiologist to further understand her condition and make sure you understand all the details of her diagnosis.

I hope this helps explain more about aortic regurgitation the reality of clogged aortic valves.

Keep on tickin!

Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery, a unique book which integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of an actual heart valve surgery patient. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.

Ready to take a guess? Here’s the question:

How many mitral valve surgeries, including valve repair and valve replacement, are performed each year in the United States?

Any ideas?

If you need help, here is a hint… Each year, there are over 100,000 heart valve surgeries performed in the United States. (I know that wasn’t the greatest hint but I hope it helped you a little bit.)

For the answer, scroll down below the picture of a diseased mitral valve with calcified valve flaps.

According to CardioSource, there are approximately 42,000 mitral valve operations performed in the United States each year. The two most frequently operated on heart valves are the aortic valve and the mitral valve.

Why am I telling you this? Well, if you were recently diagnosed with heart valve disease AND you need surgery, I am hopeful this information helps you understand that you are not alone (click to see several patient success stories).

As these facts show, many other patients have valve surgery. And, more importantly, most of these patients go on to live better, longer lives as a result of their surgery.

Keep on tickin!

Do you know how many open heart surgeries were performed in the United States during 2005?

Want to take a guess? Go ahead… Close your eyes and think about it. Okay. Now open your eyes.

(Scroll down for the answer.)

According to the American Heart Association, the number of annual open heart surgeries performed in the United States was approximately 699,000 during 2005. The break-down of some open heart surgeries, by procedure, was:

• Bypass (cardiac revascularization) - 469,000
• Heart transplants - 2,200
• Valve replacements - 106,000

Why did I write about this?

Well. I am hopeful that it will help future patients and caregivers better understand that open-heart surgery, while complex and risky, is a relatively routine procedure. Click this link to further dispel your fear of heart surgery.

Keep on tickin!

Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery, a unique book which integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of an actual heart valve surgery patient. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.