Gabrielle's Profile

I'm in my early 40s, live in the SF Bay Area, am very physically active (I love hiking and indoor rock climbing), and I have a bicuspid aortic valve with severe aortic valve stenosis. I'm asymptomatic but now that I've reached severe/critical levels, I am planning a SAVR in the next 3-4 months (likely January). I'm still considering surgery options but leaning toward the Ross Procedure, and exploring Stanford and Mount Sinai. My backup option will be a tissue SAVR, because a mechanical valve with blood thinners just doesn't seem like a good fit for my lifestyle. I'm feeling overwhelmed with the weight of my decisions and looking forward to diving into this community more. Thank you Adam for creating this and thank you to all the members for offering your stories!