About Me (In My Own Words)
I was diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve during a routine pre-operative check up for hernia surgery when I was in my early 30s. Long story short, I never knew about this and what was supposed to not present itself until "much later in life" got progressively worse before I turned 40.
Upon my request for docs that could help fix me, my cardiologist gave me several names, to which I asked, "OK, if this was your heart, who would you go to." I met with two prominent heart surgeons in the Atlanta area and selected the one - Dr Edward Chen at Emory - with whom I (and my wife) had the most trust and comfort. Dr Chen presented 3 options for me - 1) mechanical valve, 2) biological valve, and 3) Ross procedure. After much deliberation with family, friends who are physicians, and self reflection, I decided to have my valve replaced with a Medtronic Freestyle. In my case, I didn't want to be on blood thinner indefinitely and the Ross procedure didn't feel like the right thing for me. I know I'll have to get the Freestyle replaced at some point (hopefully not for a long time), but I'm relatively young, active, and have a toddler at home, so it felt right for me. That's the biggest decision you make when going thru this - after you pick your surgeon - and you have to go with your gut instinct and what you think will work best for you.
Fast forward, I'm now 2+ years post surgery and feeling well. I now go to the cardiologist annually (it was 2-3 times/year until recently) and during my last check up he said my valve looked good. I even asked my surgeon to take a look to confirm - he said the valve looks good and my heard it functioning normally.
The worst part about this whole ordeal is, as you'd expect, the anticipation of the 'big event'. The recovery, both in the hospital and once I made it home, was slow and steady, but not too painful or frustrating.
Good luck to those of you out there embarking upon this journey... Rob
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Atlanta, Ga
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My surgery date is:
July 1, 2013
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I was diagnosed with:
Bicuspid Aortic Valve
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My surgery was:
Aortic Valve Replacement
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My surgeon is:
Dr. Edward Chen
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My hospital is:
Emory University Hospital
