Adam’s Heart Valve Surgery Blog

If you follow the latest technology and medical advancements of heart valve surgery, I thought you would enjoy this update and video:

Evalve, Inc., a leading provider of minimally invasive mitral valve repair techniques, has completed randomized enrollment in the endovascular valve edge-to-edge repair study, which is evaluating the MitraClip system as a non-surgical repair option for patients suffering from mitral regurgitation.

Donald Glower, professor of surgery at Duke Medical Center and co-principal investigator of the Everest study, said: “This trial sets a high scientific standard for future percutaneous valve therapies. As a result, this trial will have a significant and long-lasting impact on patient care around the world.”

Keep on tickin!

About The Author: 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.

For all of you following the advancements and latest technology of heart valve replacement, here is some encouraging news specific to minimally invasive surgery using a catheter…

According to Forbes, shares of Edwards Lifesciences, the largest heart valve manufacturer, rose 10% yesterday after the company announced positive results from two recent studies of its newest bovine valve replacement device, known as the Sapien.

“Were the results of the study that good?” you may be wondering.

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Following his recent mitral valve repair, Larry just sent me a glowing report about his minimally invasive procedure in which Doctor Shemin (UCLA) used the Da Vinci robot. Here are the details from Larry…

Hi Adam,

I had mitral valve repair surgery along with replacing the two cords that hold the mitral valve in place with Gore-Tex cords. The operation was six hours long. Your readers should know that I had this procedure done by the da Vinci robot manufactured by Intuitive Surgical. The surgeons did not have to open up my chest, but only three little incisions on my side. From the moment I woke up from surgery, I have had zero pain and have taken no painkillers. If the patient is a candidate for robotic mitral valve repair surgery, the procedure is as good as the normal surgery of opening up your chest, and the recovery makes it 100% better.

Da Vinci Surgical System

When I started to do my investigation on the Internet I wanted to find one of the best hospitals in the country and one of the top surgeons in a country that did this procedure. I found both with UCLA medical Center and Dr. Richard Shemin. The treatment I received at UCLA medical Center was the best you could ever hope for, and Dr. Shemin is an outstanding surgeon and a very nice person which is an outstanding, combination.

FYI, I was driving two weeks after surgery and lawn bowling after four weeks. Please make sure your readers know of this procedure.

Best regards,

Larry

P.S. If you would like to leave a message for Larry or discuss robotic valve surgery, please click here.

I just received an email from Jenny, a 57-year old mother of two, who was recently diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis.

According to her cardiologist, Jenny needs aortic valve replacement surgery in the next 3-6 months. That said, Jenny asked me, “Adam - What do you consider to be the latest technology in aortic valve surgery? I have heard that the new, minimally invasive procedures are less invasive and help the patient recovery faster. Is that true?”

As you may know, I am high technology consultant specializing in electronics manufacturing. That said, I spend my workdays examining the manufacturing technologies and processes for many different types of electronic products. My clients are in all areas of technology - computing, industrial, consumer, wireless and medical.

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