Dr. John Grehan
, Heart Surgeon

"I am filling this out for my Father. I was along through the whole process. If I could give 1000 out of a 10 score I would. Dr. Grehan took the time to explain everything to us from beginning to end. He was kind, caring and knew his stuff. My dad felt confident in the procedure and we as his family members did as well. It all went very well and we would highly recommend Dr. Grehan to anyone who is facing heart surgery. My dad received the post card for this survey in the mail and made sure I filled it out for him. We can not thank Dr. Grehan enough."

Posted by KENNETH WILWERT, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, 10/13/2017

"The surgery went well and I appreciated his openness and honesty including his bedside manner. The surgical results are going extremely well. I am content with where I am at this point, thanks to Dr. Grehan and his team."

Posted by Raul Ramos, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Median Sternotomy, 06/30/2017

"Almost one month post surgery, feeling blessed, at how extremely well things have gone since my initial consultation with Dr. Grehan. It was during that consultation (my wife attended) it was decided we are putting my life in Dr. Grehans hands. His display of expertise, caring and confidence melted away most of our concerns.

My surgery date was 4/14/2017 and was discharged 4/17/2017, no complications and already feeling great! Dr. Grehan, his surgical and ICU recovery care team are nothing short of remarkable!"

Posted by Danny Torgerson, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, 04/14/2017

"The entire experience with Dr. Grehan and supporting people at United Heart & Vascular Clinic was far more competent and organized than anything I would have thought possible. I wouldn't have thought the damage to the valves (as shown by the ultrasound echo scan) could be dealt with as a repair."

Posted by douglas moore, Mitral Valve, Tricuspid Valve, Valve Repair, 02/19/2016

"I cannot say enough about Dr. Grehan and his entire surgical & ICU team.

My family was kept informed throughout the surgery and the ICU team went above and beyond in caring for me and thank goodness they all quickly caught onto my sarcasm is a sign of love.

No doubt I placed my heart and life in the best hands. Thanks again Dr. Grehan!"

Posted by Kathy Wedemeyer, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Root Replacement, 12/19/2016

"Dr. Grehan was excellent!"

Posted by Tom Cohoon, Aortic Valve, Mitral Valve, Valve Repair, 08/18/2016

"Dr. Grehan is the best heart surgeon in the world - can't say enough good things about him and his colleagues. He saved my aortic valve during an aortic root replacement due to an aneurysm. He is highly educated and very skilled but still remains humble and easy to understand. He explained the process from beginning to end. He answered every question with sincerity, and gives credit to his team. He saved my life, and gave my family a new beginning."

Posted by Tim Peterson, Aortic Valve, Valve Repair, 04/25/2016

"Dr. Grehan and his team gave me a thorough understanding of what to expect before the surgery and what it would mean for my recovery. In addition to the aortic root replacement I also had the aneurysm on my ascending thoracic artery repaired. All of these procedures went flawlessly."

Posted by Jeffrey Kile, Aortic Valve, Root Replacement, Maze Procedure, 02/04/2016

"My experience with Dr. Grehan was extremely positive. I was anxious and apprehensive about my mitro-valve surgey. H e was skilled in explaining the surgery, attentive to my fears and anxieties-which were lessened. I felt very confident with his experience and expertise that I would have a successful outcome. Following surgery he recommended me to the Sister Kenny Rehab. program which enabled me to enhance my progress and speed my recovery. I'm pleased that I'm doing well."

Posted by Rita weiss, Mitral Valve, Valve Repair, 11/09/2015

"Dr. Grehan was adamant about making sure we understood my condition, the repair and what we were to expect after the surgery. Our appointments with him were quite thorough and when we had questions, concerns or needs he and his staff were excellent in every way.

I would definitely recommend Dr Grehan and his staff!"

Posted by Steve Beyl, Mitral Valve, Valve Repair, 11/03/2015

"From the very first consult I was very comfortable with Dr. Grehan. He took the time to describe the procedure in detail, answer all my questions and gave me the reassurance that this surgery would have a favorable outcome, which it did. Dr. Grehan was very good with my wife after the surgery when he went over the results of the operation and assured her I was doing well. He visited me every day in the hospital and gave an update on my progress. If I ever need heart surgery again Dr. Grehan is my go to provider."

Posted by Robert Garrison, Mitral Valve, Valve Repair, 08/07/2015

"Excellent. Dr. Grehan was very caring and very professional. He also repaired the tricuspid valve."

Posted by Sarmita Peterson, Mitral Valve, Tricuspid Valve, Valve Repair, Maze Procedure, 08/28/2015

"Dr. Grehan and his staff were amazing. All my questions were answered and I was put at ease for this surgery. I would highly recommend anyone who has to have heart surgery to have this great surgeon and his staff to be your choice. I sincerely thank you Dr. Grehan and your wonderful nurses for making this scary surgery so much easier to go thru."

Posted by Karen Meyers, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, 08/10/2015

"Nothing but positive things to say about Dr. Grehan, from when he introduced himself to follow-up visits after surgery.

Thank you Dr. Grehan, doing well in my recovery and I'm sure it's aided by your attention to details and skills during my surgery and in hospital recovery."

Posted by Gary Houghton, Mitral Valve, Valve Repair, 08/06/2015

"Dr. Grehan and his team are very accommodating and informative. They really show they care about you and make you feel at ease."

Posted by Wayne Weierke, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, 08/19/2015

"When it was recommended to me by my cardiologist, Dr. Brian Mahoney, that I needed to have aortic valve replacement surgery, my next heart beat took me to who will do the operation, what is involved and can I, an 81 year old man, take this kind of surgery?

Dr. Mahoney recommended that we take this conversation to Dr. John Grehan who does heart valve replacement/repair with great success. My family and I were impressed with Dr. Grehan's knowledge, experience and compassion to help a patient who was in heart failure. He explained in depth the detail and with patience and confidence the procedure and the risks that could be involved. After he explained the whole process there was no doubt in my mind or of of my family that he was the doctor to do the surgery.

I came through the surgery with welcoming success. Dr. Grehan and his team monitored my recovery and progress daily and most often twice a day. We came to know Dr. Grehan well because he was always willing to take time to answer our questions and talk about my future. He is, without a doubt, knowledgeable and compassionate about his work to help patients come through heart surgery with success. His bedside manner comes with a wonderful spirit. It was easy to feel like I was his only patient.

Several months after the aortic valve replacement success, the doctors discovered that my tricuspid valve had developed a leak, regurgitation, and again my heart was not working properly. The only way to fix this leak was to have another valve replacement/repair surgery. I was retaining fluid. Not much time left to wait. Again, we discussed the surgery with Dr. Grehan and Dr. Mahoney. In his calm and and reassuring manner, Dr. Grehan explained that this surgery would be even more difficult and involved more risks as well as more painful. He would have to do a thoracotomy; enter the heart between the ribs on the right side. He talked about what needed to be done and how he would accomplish it. He spoke with confidence of knowledge that assured me that he was the doctor who knew how to do this job.

Knowing that this was, again, a difficult decision for my family, we were advised to seek a second opinion. We did. We were advised that we couldn't have a smarter surgeon for this job. On January 25th, 2014 mission accomplished with success! Dr. Grehan and his team continued to monitor my recovery with daily visits and updates to my family and me.

My family and I highly recommend Dr. Grehan as the doctor who knows how to give more life to a failing heart. I felt that he gave me the same kind of care that he would give his father. Dr. Grehan's knowledge and compassion for his work is can be reassuring to any patient with heart failure. He works with an excellent team of doctors, nurses and assistants. When I was ready to be dismissed from the hospital, Dr. Grehan came with his whole team to wish me well. I could not have asked for a better team."

Posted by William (Bill) Schunk, Aortic Valve, Tricuspid Valve, Valve Repair, Valve Replacement, 01/25/2014

"Dr. Grehan is fantastic. He treated my Mom, Gloria. This was her second open heart surgery in 14 years. He had to replace the artificial aortic valve that was originally replaced in June of 2000.

Our family was quite apprehensive to go thru the surgery again. He did an aortic root replacement, put in a tissue aortic valve, did a single bypass, and put a clip in her heart. She is a 74 year old women. The surgery lasted 7 hours and the recovery has went well. Dr. Grehan and his entire staff were wonderful.

I'm happy to report that my Mom is recovering quite nicely and we look forward to having her with us for many more years. I would highly recommend Dr. Grehan."

Posted by Gloria Peterson, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Root Replacement, 02/28/2014

"Excellent."

Posted by Robert Bergstrom, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, 03/03/2014

"I would most definitely recommend Dr. Grehan as a surgeon. He not only did an excellent job for me but he also did an excellent job for my mother's surgery in February of 2014."

Posted by Nancy Johnson, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, 05/29/2013

"Dr. Grehan is a very caring doctor and the surgery went very well. I would recommend Dr. Grehan very highly."

Posted by JANICE MATZEK, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Median Sternotomy, 02/04/2014

"I feel that Dr. Grehan saved my life by performing this surgery. I was treated very well at the hospital and in my recovery by the nurses and doctors."

Posted by paul prusak, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, 01/09/2014

"Dr. Grehan shares his medical knowledge in a manner that respects the intelligence of the patient and their family. His confidence in his surgical ability is clear, and his demeanor relates to people.

Should anyone I know need a recommendation, I will not hesitate to refer them to him for their heart procedure.

Thank you for making the biggest decision of my life easy, the result routine, and for allowing me to return to the quality of life I'm accustomed to."

Posted by Dave Monn, Mitral Valve, Valve Repair, 11/27/2013

"I was very impressed with Dr. Grehan from the moment I met him. He has a confidence about him that eased any anxiety about the procedure. He explained what was needed to be done to my aortic valve. Gave me all my options, explained in detail both the pros and cons of the surgery. After Doctor Grehan performed my surgery, he would stop in and see me everyday to see how I was doing. He was always in tune to what was going on with me. His bedside manor was very professional with a sincere personal touch. All my visits with him since surgery have been good. He has a great personality that shows he really cares for his patients."

Posted by Tim Simon, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, 12/02/2013

"Dr. John Grehan was very informative before the surgery as well as after. Both Dr. Grehan as well as his Nurse Practitioner 'Megan' were very compassionate in their after care -- showing great concern after the surgery. The entire hospital staff from the nurses to even the cleaning ladies were nothing short of wonderful. I highly recommend Dr John Grehan and his entire staff."

Posted by Kent Christophersen, Mitral Valve, Valve Repair, 09/06/2013

"Dr. Grehan is the best. He spent nine hours on my aorta repair. I feel great. He has great bedside manners and explained every thing to me and my family. He followed up in the hospital and answered all questions."

Posted by James Tjornhom, Aortic Valve, David Procedure, 09/10/2013

"This surgeon was a young, very confident surgeon that specialized in valve repair and replacement. After several years of being told that my valve was beyond repair my cardiologist referred me to John Grehan who after reviewing all of my records felt very confident that he could offer me a repair thus avoiding the alternative which would have been a replacement requiring me to be on blood thinners for the remainder of my life.

Either way it had to be done however if there was a chance for a replacement I had to make a decision very quickly. After talking with Dr. Grehan, his level of confidence lead me to believe that if there was a chance he was the man to do the procedure. I came through wonderfully and the repair was a complete success! Following the surgery and 12 hours into recovery my lungs filled with fluid and John was summoned to the ICU. Within minutes John was able to put a drainage tube into each of my lungs to drain the fluid and I was able to breath normally again. It ended up being only a minor set back and he and his staff regularly checked in on my to make sure that the drainage was well under control.

I can not say enough about this surgeon and if I had to do this procedure all over again John Grehan would be my surgeon of choice. My recovery was quick and I was already working from my home on my computer 2 weeks later. 7 weeks to the day I had my surgery I was back at work full time feeling better than ever. I travel for my career and at 8 weeks I was walking through the airport and getting on a plane.

At first when they suggested that I have the surgery immediately I tried to prolong it using work as an excuse. It was really more the fear of the surgery. My biggest fear was the breathing tube that you wake up with following the procedure. I am very claustrophobic and had a lot of anxiety about waking up with that tube. The pre-op nurse mentioned to my husband that when I awake he should ask the ICU nurse how much longer it would be before it could be removed so that my husband could say..."the tube will come out in about an hour". That actually helped put me at ease and between that and the groggy state I was in I honestly don't even remember it being in or anyone removing it. I was kept very comfortable and before I knew it I was going home. My fear about the whole process was for nothing. I won't say that there isn't any pain involved with recovery and those first few weeks I felt pretty rough, but considering what I had gone through it was pretty minimal and now 10 months later I don't really remember much of it. I'm just great full that I feel so good. My breathing problems for the most part have subsided. I can now walk up steps without huffing and puffing and my energy level has improved greatly.

I was told that my life-expectancy has gone back to a normal healthy women in my age category and for that I applaud everyone that had a hand in my care.

Eight months after the surgery I was out riding my Harley and going on regular daily walks with my dog, a yellow lab that pulls too hard on the leash. Life couldn't be better! "

Posted by Linda McCann-Rugo, Mitral Valve, Valve Repair, Median Sternotomy, 12/15/2012

"Excellent surgeon. Great bedside manner. Always willing to take time to answer questions, discuss concerns, and provide care after surgery. Willing to meet with my wife at any time to discuss my condition. I had an excellent surgical outcome which indicate that his skills are superb. I would recommend him to anyone needing heart surgery. "

Posted by Michael Dressen, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Root Replacement, 03/26/2012

"Dr. John Grehan was able to perform a minimally invasive procedure (mini-thoracotomy) for my aortic valve replacement surgery. I was in on a Wednesday and home on Sunday - back to work on Monday. Dr. Grehan did a great job of staying in touch -- before and after the surgery. "

Posted by David Lindberg, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Mini-Thoracotomy / Port Access, 01/02/2013