Dave’s Heart Valve Journey: From Sternotomy Fear to Robotic Aortic Valve Replacement

Every so often, I receive a message from a patient that reminds me exactly why I started HeartValveSurgery.com nearly 20 years ago. Dave Schept’s letter is one of those messages, and I’m honored to share his journey from living with a bicuspid aortic valve to finding the right surgeon, the right approach, and the confidence to move forward with heart valve surgery.

Dave's Letter to Me...

Dear Adam,

I am writing to you to tell you my story and to thank you because you played a major role in the success of my heart valve surgery journey. I am a 68-year-old man now living in the Palm Springs area. I spent the majority of my life living in the Twin Cities area in Minnesota. I first learned of my bicuspid aortic valve issue at age 17 during my first trip to a doctor without my parents along.

A murmur was discovered, and soon thereafter I had my first echocardiogram (a heart catheterization had originally been ordered, but thankfully the procedure description scared my mother, so the hospital acquiesced to just doing an echo). From the sounds of it, I probably had the valve issue from birth, but it was just never brought to the attention of my parents or me.

While no surgery was suggested at that point, it became obvious that at some point later in my life I would likely be facing that prospect. I was asymptomatic and was told to get follow-up echocardiograms every 5 to 10 years. I continued to do so throughout my 20s through my 50s, remaining symptom-free, with no strong suggestions from the cardiologists to have surgery.

As I entered my late 50s, the cardiologists began pushing harder on having the valve replaced. I still remained asymptomatic throughout (and that really continued right up to my surgery on 7/17/26). I did everything in my power to remain healthy and fit. I lost a significant amount of weight and began a 30-minute daily exercise regimen. I was bound and determined to stay fit to help me avoid heart surgery.

Finding Your Educational Heart Valve Videos

It was sometime during my late 50s that I discovered your YouTube videos about heart surgery. They became my most important tool to get educated about my situation. They provided me with facts, hope, and a roadmap for moving forward. It allowed me to hear advice from you and many different cardiologists and surgeons, to learn about the many options and tactics to treat bicuspid aortic valves, and to keep up with the latest advances in technology. Your videos also validated my feelings that I was the ultimate decision-maker about my aortic valve replacement (AVR) and that I should be confident in the team that would ultimately perform my procedure.

I must admit that a strong element in my fear of heart valve surgery was the sternotomy itself. I just couldn’t picture myself going through that, even knowing that so many others have done it (including you). The first cardiologist who started to suggest aortic valve replacement in 2018 brought up the possibility of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). At the time, I still felt it wasn’t good timing to have it done. My parents had entered assisted living the prior year and required much attention at that stage. Then the pandemic hit, and I set the heart condition aside since I continued to be asymptomatic. In 2022, I saw a different cardiologist who felt that the stenosis had progressed to a stage where I should be considering surgery soon. Since my mother still needed a lot of help, plus the fact that I remained asymptomatic, I told him the timing was wrong but I’d take it under advisement. He also told me that I was not a good candidate for TAVR, given the degree of my stenosis. Having watched many of your videos regarding bicuspid valves and the available replacement procedure options, I knew he was right.

When I Knew It Was Time

Moving forward to 2024, both my parents had passed away, and my husband and I decided to move from Minneapolis to the Palm Springs area. In late 2025, I finally got an overdue echocardiogram, and the aortic stenosis was classified as severe. I saw a local cardiologist who basically tried to scare me, telling me I could drop dead within weeks. He wanted me to schedule surgery on the spot. I told him I needed to think about it. After discussing it with my husband, I begrudgingly acquiesced and called his office the next day to begin scheduling the testing and surgery. Surprisingly, his scheduler couldn’t nail him down as to which tests to schedule. I kept calling 2-3 times a week for two months, without any success in getting the process started and scheduled.

At that point, I had become convinced that the time was finally right for me to get the valve replaced. I would soon be rounding the corner into my 70s, yet I was healthy, fit, and still asymptomatic. As I got older, it could be much tougher to endure the surgery in my 70s or 80s. But now I had zero confidence in this local cardiologist and that provider network. I wouldn’t have trusted them to change the oil in my car at that point! And I knew from watching so many of your videos that I should accept nothing less than complete confidence in the team that would be performing my procedure.

Discovering Robotic Aortic Valve Replacement

It was during that time that I watched an hour-long Q&A video with you and Dr. Dominic Emerson of Cedars-Sinai, primarily on the topic of robotic aortic valve replacement. I was absolutely fascinated by it. I had seen several other videos about robotic heart surgeries on your channel, but this one really spoke to me. It sounded like the best solution for my situation. At the end of the video, there was a graphic saying that if you’d like a second opinion, you can contact Dr. Emerson directly. I really needed a second opinion!

Dr. Dominic Emerson (Dave's Surgeon)

I contacted his office the following day and had a consultation within two weeks. After some imaging tests were performed, he concluded that I was a good candidate for robotic aortic valve replacement. I asked if I could hold off a few months until the summer months, and he agreed.

Surgical Robot for Aortic Valve Replacement

Four Weeks After Surgery

I am sitting here today, just four weeks after my surgery, feeling great! I was in the hospital for five days. Dr. Emerson, his staff, and the hospital staff at Cedars-Sinai were amazing! They were highly skilled technically and very kind and caring. For all intents and purposes, I experienced no real pain. They used a shoulder nerve block to help with pain management, which was very effective. There was some minor discomfort from the chest tubes, but that was about it. I never needed any of the strong pain medications and was even able to stop taking the Tylenol within two weeks, too. My strength and stamina have steadily increased, but I’m still being careful to follow the doctor’s instructions about lifting and not overexerting myself.

I’m grateful that I had a number of advantages in my journey that so many others may not have. First, being asymptomatic and otherwise healthy, I was able to choose exactly when, where, and how my surgery would be performed. That allowed me the time to do research and prepare myself mentally and physically for what I might encounter. I also was on Original Medicare with a supplement plan, so I was not handcuffed to a provider network.

I feel so fortunate that I was able to have my aortic valve replaced robotically at Cedars-Sinai. It’s a wonderful facility providing expert, compassionate care while utilizing advanced technology. I’ve seen many patient experience and recovery videos on YouTube chronicling traditional SAVR with a sternotomy, and the recovery process looks painful, difficult, and long.

A Heartfelt Thank You

I never would have learned that RAVR even existed, nor could I have found and connected with Dr. Emerson, without the existence of the HeartValveSurgery.com platform. You are an amazing person, Adam, having made educating others about heart health your life’s work after your own surgery experience. If you are familiar with the Yiddish word, I feel that you are the textbook definition of a “mensch.” I imagine you’ve positively impacted tens of thousands of lives.

In closing, I could never do enough to thank you for the impact that you and HeartValveSurgery.com have had on my life. Thanks again, Adam. You’ve created such an important platform to help people navigate the challenges of heart health. Your impact on my life and so many others is immeasurable.

Related Links:

• See the Interactive Surgeon Profile of Dr. Dominic Emerson (Dave's Surgeon)

• Robotic Aortic Valve Replacement: Heart Surgery Innovation Update

• Ask Dr. Dominic Emerson: What Should Patients Know About Cardiac Anesthesia?

• Explore the Cedars-Sinai Heart Valve Surgery Microsite