About Me (In My Own Words)
Just read Dr. Gillinov‘s column. He is an excellent surgeon and he repaired my mitral valve successfully. However, I need to add that it’s not always the rosy picture that is painted in this article. I am a petite woman and presented asymptomatically. The robotic machine was obviously too large for my body and the description of two small incisions is definitely not the story for everyone. I had seven! One of them was 6 inches in length. Right across my right breast. To this day, the lower part of my right breast is missing. As well, I suffered amazing pain extending from my right breast through all the incisions under my arm and on my back. When I called the hospital to ask for help the nurses apologized and said I had fallen through the cracks. I was in severe pain for four months. Slowly over the next six months I started to improve. I would say it took me about a year to feel ready to exercise in the gym again. And I am a gym rat. To this day, I still have nerve pain in those areas. Whereas it was a 10/10 for many months, I would say it’s a 1-2 on a daily basis. So I do not believe this robotic surgery is for everyone. I think it’s great for men or those who are candidates for minimally invasive incisions. But not for petite women! The machine is too big!
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Sanibel
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My surgery date is:
November 21, 2018
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I was diagnosed with:
Mitral Regurgitation
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My surgery was:
Mitral Valve Repair
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My hospital is:
Cleveland Clinic
