I\'m new to HeartValveSurgery.com, but not to heart surgery. I figured I\'d add this post as a way of introducing myself. I\'m happy to help those who have ...Read more
I\'m new to HeartValveSurgery.com, but not to heart surgery. I figured I\'d add this post as a way of introducing myself. I\'m happy to help those who have questions about what I\'ve learned, and am actively seeking others look at the Melody valve.
I was born in 1966 with the same aortic insufficiency that took my father\'s life at age 63. My insufficiency was first measured in my young 30\'s, and corrected by at age 42 with the Ross procedure. My body\'s rejection of the donated pulmonary valve (from the Ross) led to severe pulmonary stenosis, and a stent has kept me going for 2 1/2 years since. As of early 2012, my right ventricle is mild to moderately dilated and my exercise threshold is down again. We have begun looking at the Melody valve as the next solution. My cardiac surgeon is Dr. Duke Cameron and cardiologist is Dr. Richard Ringel, both at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
My blog can be found at http://chris.krahe.org. Shortcut to my \"health\" posts is http://is.gd/Ang8x0.
Thanks to Adam and others who\'ve put this site together.
Chris Krahe
Maryland
keywords: melody valve, ross procedure, hopkins, cameron, ringel