Hi Silvia, As the newest member of our community... Welcome!!! I hope all the great people and educational information here can help you along your journey... Read more
Hi Silvia, As the newest member of our community... Welcome!!! I hope all the great people and educational information here can help you along your journey to a healthy heart. If you need anything, please let me know!
Hi Silvia, I just read your message on Brent’s page. I am 44 years old and had severe aortic stenosis due a bicuspid valve. Also, an ascending aortic aneurysm. ...Read more
Hi Silvia, I just read your message on Brent’s page. I am 44 years old and had severe aortic stenosis due a bicuspid valve. Also, an ascending aortic aneurysm. I did my research and studied all my options. Your husband seems to have a similar story as mine. I would recommend 2-3 opinions and weigh all his options. This is a big decision he will have to live with the rest of his life. I chose the Ross procedure due to my young age. It is the more technical procedure but has many upsides if performed by an experienced surgeon. My reasons for choosing the “Ross” were not wanting to live in blood thinner meds the rest of my life, which choosing a mechanical valve would do. Also, a cow or pig valve would only last 7-12 years at best and that would mean another surgery in the future. The Ross just seemed to be the right choice for me personally, especially at my age. I am 30 days post-op and feel great. I also traveled to NYC to have it done by an experienced surgeon. That was 2.5 hours from my home. I do believe that your 3.5 hrs from Plano, TX and maybe that would be an option for another opinion from a Ross specialist. Baylor, Scott and White Heart Hospital is in Plano TX and I believe they have Ross specialists. Of course everyone is different and will ultimately choose what feels best for them. It never hurts to get multiple opinions. Many people on this website would agree with me on that. Also, I would not be discouraged from traveling for his surgery. Many people actually travel for heart surgery. If I can help answer any further questions feel free to reach out. Good luck with the research and take a deep breath, your husband will do great and will be lead to the right choice for him. All the best to you both 🙏🏽
Ps. Check out all the amazing resources on this website and watch some of the webinars/interviews/videos on the heart valve surgery YouTube page. That will help educate you both on all his options and possible outcomes. Good luck 🍀
Silvia Gitte Hi Timothy, I was just reading all your info. when you sent me this message. I am so happy you are fe ... Read more
Silvia Gitte Hi Timothy, I was just reading all your info. when you sent me this message. I am so happy you are feeling better. Thank you for the recommendations. I did see that they perform that surgery in Plano but I don't know where to start. Is getting an appointment scheduled there as easy as just calling in? We don't even know if the insurance would cover it if other procedures are available in the area. I just have so many questions and even though I am reading through many messages here on the website, can you or anybody walk me through the 2nd opinion process? We will essentially have the proper 1st surgeon visit this coming Wednesday and a couple of days ago the other doctor said my husband would need surgery soon in 3-4 weeks. This is a very stressful situation and now knowing where to start is making me more nervous.
Timothy Andre Hi Silvia, it never hurts to ask what your options are. For my second opinion I called and scheduled ... Read more
Timothy Andre Hi Silvia, it never hurts to ask what your options are. For my second opinion I called and scheduled an appointment. As easy as that. I had all my pre-op procedures at Penn Medicine and when it was time to schedule surgery after seeing my first surgeon, my insurance turned me down. I was of course worried and didn’t know what to do. At that moment I chose not to worry about insurance and just called and made an appointment with the surgeon I wanted. I had my first surgeon write a letter of “medical necessity” for me and sent that to my insurance company. Then I went for my second opinion and quickly realized that was the surgeon I wanted. Still not caring about insurance. They sent a request on my behalf and with both surgeons advocating for me my insurance company finally gave in and approved it for me. I was blessed that all worked out in my favor. Unfortunately with insurance companies you really have to advocate for yourself and fight for what you want. It’s your husbands choice and if the first surgeon doesn’t do the procedure he chooses then maybe they can write a letter for him also. Keep fighting until he gets what he wants. And kindly ask other surgeons to fight along with you. It’s not always common for them to do that but you can always ask. It’s also my understanding that with private hospitals you have less red tape/hoops to jump through as with institutional hospitals. Mt. Sinai fought for me harder than Penn Medicine, for example. I hope this helps. Feel free to email me with any more questions. timandre@unifiedfarming.com
I am from: The Woodlands, TX
