{"id":37772,"date":"2023-10-03T14:53:56","date_gmt":"2023-10-03T19:53:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/heart-surgery-blog\/?p=37772"},"modified":"2023-10-03T19:11:58","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T00:11:58","slug":"annual-echocardiogram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/heart-surgery-blog\/2023\/10\/03\/annual-echocardiogram\/","title":{"rendered":"“Do You Still Get Annual Echocardiograms?” asks Betty"},"content":{"rendered":"

I just received a great question from Betty who asks, “Hi Adam, I know you had heart valve surgery over 10 years ago. I’m curious to know if you still get echocardiograms?”<\/p>\n

The answer? Yes… Even though it’s been nearly 18 years since I had a Ross Procedure<\/a> performed by Dr. Vaughn Starnes<\/a> at Keck Medicine of USC, there is one thing I do every, single year.<\/p>\n

That’s right. I always get an annual echocardiogram<\/a>.\u00a0 In fact, I just had my yearly echocardiogram last week as you can see and hear below. There’s two reasons for this.\u00a0 First, I want to make sure my heart, heart valves and aorta are doing great.\u00a0 Second, Dr. Starnes and Dr. Ram Dandilaya<\/a>, my cardiologist, both recommend it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"AdamSteve Arriaga (Echocardiogram Technician) and Me<\/p>\n

 
\n<\/p>\n

So…<\/p>\n

What did Steve Arriaga, the awesome echocardiogram technician at Dr. Dandilaya’s office, find during his 20-minute ultrasound of my heart last week.<\/p>\n

“As far as I can see,” Steve said, “Everything looks good.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n