Edith's Guestbook

Hi Edie!! I hope all is going well! I wanted to let you know that I met with Dr William Ryan last week and he lived up to all of the great things that others on this site have said about him. He is very patient and doesn't seem to rushed to answer any and all questions. He also has a way of explaining things that make it more understandable than some of the other doctors I have visited. One tip I would recommend is bringing a voice recorder to your appointment. Even though I had my husband with me as a second set of ears, we also used a small recorder to record the entire meeting. It has been very helpful to have that to lean back on instead of trying to remember the answers to all of the many, many questions we asked. Good luck next week and I hope our crazy Dallas weather clears up and warms up before you get here!!

Hi Edith! I had my surgery at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea campus. My cardiologist is Dr. David Rizik and my surgeon was Dr. Robert Riley! I love them both very much. I have unusual health issues that make taking pain meds almost impossible for me and these Doctors are amazing. I went to the hospital for a blood transfusion, and 5 days later, wound up having aortic valve replacement. I believe that God placed these men right were I needed them to be, right when I needed them. If you have any more questions, I would be happy to answer them. God bless and carry you and your family! Robin Szymanski

Edith, Thank you for writing. I am sure you will eventually get to the point where you can relax and feel comfortable with the surgery. What hospital are you thinking of? Keep on focusing on the positives! I love to focus on beautiful butterflies, or special moments in my life! Please write if there is anything I can do to help you through this journey. There will be small bumps but you will be fine. Love, Your new heart sister Mia. (Mary from Michigan)

Hi Edith, You raise several important points about surgeon selection, traveling for surgery and managing care after surgery --- for you and those around you. Thanks for being so diligent and thoughtful about your upcoming surgery. Here's the challenge for me... Unfortunately, I do not have definitive answer to your questions. While I am very familiar with Dr. Gillinov and many of his patients -- who have had very successful outcomes -- I am not familiar with your surgeon. That does not mean that he or she is not an extraordinary surgeon. I just don't personally know them. Fyi, there are many surgeons I do not know. That said, did you ask your surgeon enough questions that you would feel comfortable being operated on by him. Questions like: 1. How many open heart procedures have you performed? 2. How many heart valve procedures haver you performed? 3. What are your surgical outcomes for my specific type of valve disease? 4. Can you repair my valve? Do you repair valves? 5. What type of incision approach will you use? Why? 6. What are my risks for a successful procedure in your care? 7. Can I talk with one or two of your patients? In addition to these questions, you raise other considerations about your personal life that might impact your surgeon selection process (e.g. the care of your husband, travel). It's a challenge for me to speculate, or weight, the importance of these factors relative to your physician. That said, I am a big fan of experience. When I chose my surgeon, I went to the physician who was the most experienced for the specific type of valve procedure that I wanted performed. It's important to remember that it's not just about the surgeon. It's also about their medical support team. Experience flows throughout that team. Personally, I wanted a team that had seen a patient like me thousands of times -- just in case there was a complication. I hope this makes sense Edith. And, I hope I didn't make things more difficult for you with these words. I know how challenging this can be. If you need anything else, please let me know. Keep on tickin! Adam

Hi Edith, Did you talk to Adam yet? For some reason, your question looked liked it posted on my site, not his. Hopefully you have connected with him. I was wondering if you could do that other procedure where they use the catheter instead, like they did on that woman in her 70's that Adam posted recently. She recovered well, and no OHS.

Welcome Edith. You asked about getting on this site, but it looks like you are on! Just go to My Story and describe your situatuon, or go to My Journal and write whatever questions you have. I had my Aortic Valve replaced 12 days ago, and I am doing very well. Everyone here is willing to answer questions, and help you along your heart journey. God Bless you