Leslie just forwarded me this video about United Healthcare, one of the largest insurance companies in the world. I know there are two sides to every story… But, the patient stories told in this video are rather disturbing.
It’s also very hard not to think about the 46 million Americans that have no insurance coverage after watching this video.
Although heart valve surgery can be a very challenging process, my research suggests that most patients look back upon their surgical experience as a transformational ticket to a “second chance” at life.
That said… Here is Robin Williams, the comedian and Oscar-award winning actor, describing his thoughts on heart valve surgery, the emotions it conjures, second chances and more.
If you are interested, here are some additional blogs related to this topic:
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.
Here’s a great patient success story about John Doss, a 56-year old Karate instructor from Michigan. Doctor Ali Kafi, Chief of Clinical Cardiothoracic Surgery, from Detroit Medical Center, performed the aortic valve replacement.
During the video, Dr. Ali Kafi references the use of a mini-sternotomy. To give you a visual comparison of a mini-sternotomy incision versus a full sternotomy scar, please consider the pictures below. The first picture shows a patient with a mini-sternotomy.
To this point, I just came across a good, educational video about two related patients - Joanne Kennedy and her daughter, Laura. Both Joanne and Laura required heart valve surgery by Dr. Patrick McCarthy at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Here is a video which details their story:
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
