![\"Scott](\"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/Images\/scott-neiman.jpg\")
\nScott With Lindsey, Nick and Fred (the Teddy Bear)<\/div>\n
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First of all let me\u00a0address the number one reason I am writing to you.\u00a0 It is to say a BIG THANK YOU!\u00a0 Thank you Adam for not only your book but also your website and blog. I have spent much time reading and researching all three for the last month and a half. It is also the first place I came across Dr. Kevin Accola, the surgeon I would ultimately chose to do my aortic valve replacement.<\/p>\n
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Let me give you a little background. My name is Scott Nieman. I am 42 years old. I was born in 1967 with aortic stenosis<\/a>. Back then, the doctors did not operate on infants so it was not until I was 12 years old, and my condition became life-threatening, that they decided to operate.<\/p>\n I was fortunate to have one of the top surgeons in the country (Dr. Arthur DeBoer) operate on me at the first hospital in the Chicago area to have a dedicated intensive care unit just for heart patients (St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, Illinois).<\/p>\n Doctor DeBoer was able to repair the aortic valve by simply cutting the three leaflets to a full open position. This resolved the problem of stenosis. But, over time, aortic regurgitation<\/a> became my new problem. The doctors back then estimated that I would need to have my aortic valve replaced\u00a0by the time I was 30 years old. Well, I made it to 42. But, the time had come to replace the worn out valve which had also become bicuspid<\/a> due to two of the leaflets growing together.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n That is where you come into the picture. As I began to do research on the Internet about aortic valve replacement surgery<\/a>, I came across your website and ordered your book.\u00a0 I was very impressed\u00a0with the quick delivery and it arrived just in time because I was very nervous about the upcoming surgery. Your book\u00a0was a tremendous help and I am grateful that you wrote it. It helped not only me but also my parents as well.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I chose to go with Dr. Kevin Accola and his wonderful team that assists him in the surgery including — Dr. Mike Butkus\u00a0(who has been Dr. Accola’s Surgical PA for the last 17 years) and Denise Mouad. Both Dr. Accola and Dr. Butkus were very\u00a0professional with a warm and friendly bedside manner. I could not have asked for a better team!<\/p>\n After much discussion before the surgery, we decided to go with a pericardial tissue valve. The main reason for this choice was to avoid being on Coumadin the rest of my life. I will put my trust in this second generation of tissue valves that now have a potential life expectancy of 20 years. A lot of advancement in surgery and medicine can happen in 20 years.<\/p>\n Thankfully, the surgery was “normal” with no heart valve surgery complications<\/a> and I was out of the hospital four days later. With the exception of a few minor hiccups (elevated blood pressure, slight fever and an irregular heart beat due to inflammation around my heart – all resolved quickly by changes in medication) my recovery at home has been great.\u00a0 I got to be home for my daughters birthday. GOD IS SOOOO GOOD!<\/p>\n![\"Bicuspid](\"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/Images\/bicuspid-aortic-valve.gif\")
<\/p>\n![\"Dr.](\"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/Images\/Kevin-Accola-Heart-Florida.jpg\")
\nKevin Accola – Scott’s Heart Valve Surgeon<\/div>\n