Chris's Journal

I am scheduled to have robotic mitral valve repair on May 15. I was diagnosed with MVP about ~30 years ago and have remained active in my adult life (scouting, biking, hiking, etc). My cardiologist says that now is the time to get the repair done because my ejection fraction is changing.

I did a lot of homework before consulting with a robotic surgeon, because information calms me down. This let me speak to the surgeon from an informed point of view. We discussed the robot itself, annuloplasty rings, my posterior leaflet, and a possible chord repair.

My surgeon says I'm a good candidate for the robotic approach due to my overall health and the absence of other complications. He showed me the all the images from my ECG, TEE, and heart catheterization, and he helped me visualize what my heart is actually doing (versus what it SHOULD be doing). This information helped me make my decision from a logical perspective, rather than an emotional one.

I know that recovery can be much shorter using a robotic approach, and I'm looking foward to that. My wife and I have some RV camping to do later this summer. :-)