About Me (In My Own Words)
I had a papillary fibroelastoma (a small benign growth) on my aortic valve. It was monitored for 3 1/2 years and when it developed a stem and was in danger of breaking off and causing a heart attack or a stroke, I was advised to have it removed. This required minimally invasive open heart surgery. Dr Chikwe,, during surgery, also found there was severe calcification in addition to this growth. She removed the growth and the calcium during surgery. This will prevent future problems with the valve.
I cannot speak highly enough about Dr Chikwe and her team and everyone at Cedars. I was hospitalized after surgery for 5 days. The nursing care was also beyond superb. I have never had such an excellent hospital experience fr9m pre-op to,post-op.
Post surgery, my pain was managed by Tylenol and I only needed it for 2 days. Compared to the pain of my knee replacements, this was a cakewalk. I am almost fully recovered now, 6 weeks post surgery, and feel great. I am walking 2-3 miles a day and looking forward to returning to strength training.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me