When I find a good, educational video about heart valve surgery, I waste no time posting it here for all of us to learn from.

To this point, I just came across an excellent video all about aortic valve replacement surgery. It’s a great introduction to aortic valve surgery for patients recently diagnosed with aortic stenosis or aortic regurgitation. So, without further ado, here it is:

I realize there is a lot information in this video that is quickly presented to the viewer. So, to help you learn more about aortic valve replacement surgery, I have included several hyperlinks (below) to additional information referenced in this video.

• How is my heart stopped during heart surgery?
• What’s the difference between mechanical and bioprosthetic valves?
• How is my heart started after open heart surgery?
• What is atrial fibrillation?
• How long were you in the Intensive Care Unit?
• How long is recovery from heart valve surgery?

Finally, please note this video specifically addresses aortic valve replacement via median sternotomy (a cut sternum). So you know, there are other approaches to heart valve replacement that your surgeon may consider given the nature of your valvular disorder.

I hope this helps you learn more about valve replacement surgery!

Keep on tickin!

Last week, I posted the first part of a great video by Dr. Gaudiani all about surgical outcomes for heart valve surgery patients.

Here is the second part of that video. By the way, if you would like to watch the first part of the video, please click here.

FYI, I was fortunate to speak with Dr. Gaudiani earlier this week. Specific to valve surgery, our discussion further strengthened my knowledge of his unique, surgical competencies. So you know, Dr. Gaudiani has performed over 10,000 cardiac procedures during his 25-year career. Today, about 80% of his surgical procedures are valve-related.

Thanks to Dr. Gaudiani for this video and his ongoing pursuit of healthy hearts!

• To learn more about Dr. Vincent Gaudiani, please click here.

Keep on tickin!

Through your stories and my ongoing research, I have learned that properly diagnosing heart valve disease can be tricky. That said, I always encourage patients to get a second opinion prior to any surgical treatment (if possible).

However, Gregg just sent me an interesting question about the use of M.R.I.’s as a diagnostic tool for valvular disorders. [If you have never seen an M.R.I. of the human heart before, please see below... Can you identify the two valves that are opening-and-closing in this image?]

M.R.I. of the Human Heart

Gregg writes, “Hi Adam -  Having been diagnosed with a bicuspid valve and an enlarged aorta, I am scheduled for a follow-up echocardiogram this month to determine if there have been any changes to my current condition. My question to you is whether an echo is okay or should I get an MRI? I ask this because during a consult with a surgeon – who is well known for his work in valve repair and valve replacement – he recommended an M.R.I. as a more thorough test.  I am curious to know what you and your readers think? Thanks. Gregg”

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Keep on tickin!

P.S. To leave a comment, please click here.

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:

• “Did Robin Williams Have Open Heart Or Minimally Invasive Surgery?” Asks Marianna
• Emotional & Behavioral Changes After Heart Surgery
• On David Letterman, Robin Williams Jokes About Cow Valves

Keep on tickin!

P.S. To leave a comment, please click here.