Scott's Guestbook

Robert Miller  In my case pain management was at an 'as needed' case. So when you wake up after surgery they automatically give you pain medicine. Once you are back to your senses then they tell you to ask for pain medicine when you feel like you need it. For both my surgeries I didn't need any pain medicine. Before my second surgery I asked the surgeon if I can expect to not feel any pain. He told me pain is expected and that I am a superhero. I am sure he was BS-ing me. Fact is, when they cut your chest they cut bones/ribs and your bones don't have nerves. So all you feel is the flesh/skin healing. The healing process probably feels more itchy than painful. 

Scott Lagas  Hey Dr. Adams did the repair and the incision, and the surgery was assisted by Chartaroon Rimsukcharoenchai, MD, a mitral valve reconstruction specialist at mount Sinai, the resident was great as well Sophia Alexis. In fact, the resident was so good I was hoping she would end up a cardiologist in an office so I can use her. The cardiac ICU nurse was with me in my room constantly immediately after. I went to Dr. Adams for the consult because he had already operated on 2 people, I had known including a person who had a case no one else would take and he saved their life. My incision is small and really well done. everyone has their own checklist of what they are looking for Dr. Adams checked everyone of mine and I write this response 12 weeks and one day later after surfing 2 hours this morning and power washing the front of my house this afternoon! please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions at all! 

Deena Z  I also went to Dr. Adams.  I live in Virginia and my cardiac surgeon consult here wanted to do a mitral valve replacement, because of all the calcification on my mitral valve.  When I went to Dr. Adams he told he was 100 percent positive he could do a successful repair and he did. My incision was small, about five inches.  Also, I ended up having even more severe calcification than the pre-surgery images seemed to show; and Dr. Adams said he had to literally pick some of the calcifications off.  He also put a ring on my tricuspid valve to strengthen it as it was "loose", so I would not have to undergo another surgery in the future for this valve.  I think the only negative for some people with Dr. Adams is that I don't believe he does the robotic surgery/minimally invasive surgery.  I could not have this surgery, because it is too risky of a procedure, if you have lots of calcification. But  I am really glad that I did the surgery through the sternum, because it also meant tightening up my tricuspid valve, which I do not think would have been done via minimally invasive. So, ask also about the condition of your TV.   That said, if you have the minimally invasive, it is a much faster healing process and excellent outcomes with a high volume surgeon.   And Boston has great surgeons!