Lynda's Guestbook

Hi Lynda and welcome. I know some people on the HVJs will say I sound like a broken record, always singing the praises of the Cleveland Clinic. But the fact is Cleveland Clinic has been the #1 heart hospital in this country for 16 years and their heart surgeons are the best of the best and the innovators in valve surgery and they are the surgeons always quoted when you read about heart valve surgery (research). I will be having my heart valve surgery at the Cleveland Clinic on April 21, Dr. Marc Gillanov. I went out there in January for a consultation and I was incredibly impressed with the medical staff and the entire facility. If you read my journal you will see that I made several posts about the Cleveland Clinic including their \"outcomes\" .... a very important piece of this puzzle. As a writer who did a lot of medical writing, I am great at research and my research showed that the place to go for my surgery was Cleveland Clinic. I realize there are many other heart surgeons and hospitals out there who are very very good, but their outcomes are not - and I repeat NOT as good as the Cleveland Clinic. In fact, most of them don\'t even publish their outcomes (which include complications as well as mortality rates). I have heard about the surgeon you mention and know he is very highly regarded. I don\'t a surgeon gets to work at the Cleveland Clinic if they are not the best of the best. So any of the surgeons there would be the best. My valve is a complicated surgery (anterior leaflet of the mitral valve). Doctors here (in Maine) say it cannot be repaired and must be replaced. The cardiologist I saw (Dr. Griffin) at the Cleveland Clinic said he\'s 80-85% sure a repair can be done. Whatever has to be done, I am sure I will be in the best hands. Hope this helps. Ruth Howell Maine

How many opinions did you receive? I\'m meeting with my surgeon on March 28th. I interviewed surgeons last spring. This meeting will be to set up surgery for June. I\'m a middle school band director that is currently out of sick days. Ugh! It\'s an 8 week recovery. Got to do it this summer. I\'m in hopes of having more energy!!! This site is really wonderful Lynda!!!! There are soooo many great stories!!!!! Adam\'s book will help a lot too!!!! He gives you play by play action, mental and physical aspects. My advice would be to interview more than one surgeon and see what they all say. I went thru 3. Remember, we are all here for you! Christy Naughton