Some might find this video a bit too graphic. Others, like me, might find this educational video an incredible testament to the unique surgical skills needed to fix defective heart valves.
That said, I’ll let you decide what you think about this double heart valve replacement (also known as the Ross Procedure) video narrated by Dr. Paul Stelzer, of Mount Sinai Hospital, in New York.
If you didn’t know, theRoss Procedure is a unique, double valve surgery in which the patient’s own pulmonary valve (the autograft) is removed and then stitched into the aortic valve position. A homograft (human donor valve) is then used as the pulmonary valve replacement.
I just received an interesting email from Tammy that touches on heart valve surgery, atrial fibrillation and the MAZE procedure.
Tammy writes, “Adam - Like a couple of your readers (Mark, Patrick and Anita), my doctor has suggested that I need a combo operation that includes a mitral valve repair due to regurg and a Maze procedure for atrial fibrillation. I’m just starting to do my research and was wondering if you have any videos about the Maze procedure. Thanks, Tammy”
Interestingly enough, I’ve noticed that several patients are discussing the MAZE procedure in their new Heart Valve Journals. That said, I located a great video by Dr. Niv Ad of Inova Health System which discusses the MAZE procedure and atrial fibrillation. So… Without further ado, here is the video:
I hope this video helped Tammy (and perhaps you) learn more about the MAZE procedure and heart valve surgery.
However, one of more common questions I get is, “How did you feel as you came out of general anesthesia?” Honestly, I don’t remember much - just bits and pieces of the first few hours after surgery. But, lucky for me, my family has clued me in on the strange experience of waking up after heart surgery with a ventilator tube, Foley catheter and several other tubes still inserted in my body.
On this topic, I just read that the video below was one of YouTube’s Top 10 Videos of 2009. The video titled “David After Dentist” has been watched over 37 million times this year. It’s not an exact match to the experience of waking up after heart surgery but I think you might find some silly and honest humor as little David talks candidly with his father after dental surgery.
Please remember, each patient case is unique. Just because David was a tad loopy after his surgery, that does not mean you will have the same experience.
About The Author:Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. This unique book integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of more than 135 former valve surgery patients to help patients and caregivers better understand the problems, the opportunities and the realities of heart valve surgery. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.
As we have seen through the inspiring stories of Teppo Numminen (NHL hockey star) and Aaron Boone (MLB baseball star), several athletes have returned to professional sports after heart valve surgery.
Here is a great story about competitive cyclist, Michael Gnatek. At 43 years of age, Michael required mitral valve repair surgery due to a mitral valve prolapse. To treat his leaky heart valve, which caused a life-long heart murmur, Dr. Paul Massimiano from Inova Health System in Virginia used a minimally invasive approach.
One of the most amazing elements of Michael’s story is how quickly he was discharged from the hospital…. One day! However, please remember, each patient case is unique. As my research suggests, the average patient stay in the hospital is about five days.
Patient Days In Hospital Following Valve Surgery
I hope you enjoyed this video about Michael Gnatek and Dr. Paul Massimiano.
Keep on tickin!
P.S. Would you like to celebrate your surgeon? Now, you can join over 450 patients who have shared their surgical experiences at our new Heart Valve Surgeon Database. Click here to learn more.
About The Author:Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. This unique book integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of 78 former valve surgery patients to help patients and caregivers better understand the problems, the opportunities and the realities of heart valve surgery. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.
All rights reserved. Use of this website, Heart-Valve-Surgery.com assumes acceptance of the terms herein. All logos, pictures and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owner. This website has been developed and presented by Adam Pick, author of "The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery." Patient's stories herein, and the language used regarding heart valve replacement and heart valve repair, is intended to inform and educate. HOWEVER, it does not imply that you or anyone else will receive the same outcome. As with any medical procedure, results will vary among individuals, and there could be pain or substantial risks involved. These concerns should be discussed with your health care provider prior to any treatment so that you have proper informed consent and understand that there are no guarantees to healing. Adam Pick does not offer medical advice on this website. This information about valve replacement and repair is offered for educational purposes only. Do not act or rely upon our information without seeking independent professional medical advice. The transmission of this information does not create any relationship between you and Adam Pick. Adam Pick does not guarantees the accuracy, completeness, usefulness, or adequacy of any information available at or from this transmission. Heart Valve Replacement and Heart Valve Repair
