Adam’s Heart Valve Surgery Blog

I give A LOT of credit to patients and caregivers that really, really, really, really do their homework prior to heart valve replacement or heart valve repair surgery. I can immediately tell from the questions you ask me just how diligent you’re being at each phase of the surgical process.

Case in point… Duane Schlosser (55 years of age) from Austin, Texas just sent me two interesting questions about the Ross Procedure and minimally invasive pulmonary valve replacements that I thought you might benefit from. That said, here is what Duane writes:

Duane Schlosser - Heart Valve Replacement Patient

Adam,

Thank you for your heart valve surgery book. It has helped me come to grips with my own situation. I am scheduled for aortic valve replacement in September via the Ross Procedure. I have a two-part question for you.

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In the past, we have discussed the genetics of heart valve disease. (So you know… I, like my Great Uncle Mooney, suffered from a congenital bicuspid aortic valve which needed to be replaced.)

On the topic of heredity and heart valve disease, a new study was just published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology which suggests that nearly a third of first-degree relatives (siblings, children or parents) of patients with a bicuspid aortic valve are likely to have enlarged aortas. This was found even in the absence of any abnormalities of the heart valve itself.

According to the study:

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Considering I’m fascinated with technology, it’s natural and logical that I would monitor the ongoing roll-out and clinical trials specific to the Sapien heart valve replacement device developed by Edwards Lifesciences.

The wonderful possibilities of this unique technology could help many, many, many aortic valve replacement patients in the future. The Sapien system (shown below) is less invasive and provides patients with a faster recovery.

Sapien Heart Valve Replacement Device

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As Barack Obama recently said, “It’s not a result of the current crisis and emergency.. It’s part of the current crisis and emergency.” The President-elect was referring to the United States health care system. Today, approximately 47 million Americans are without health care insurance.

On this note, a UCLA doctor suggests, “To heal our ailing health care system, we need to stop thinking like Americans.” That’s the message of two articles by UCLA’s Dr. Marc Nuwer, a leading expert on national health care reform, published this week in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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