Cydney's Posts

Hi friends! I’m seeking your advice and thoughts on how you would navigate my case. This may be a little long-winded, so I apologize in advance. I had my Zoom consult with Dr. El-Hamamsy today. First of all, wow… what a wonderful human and incredibly knowledgeable surgeon! He told me I am a perfect candidate for the Ross procedure (thank God). I’m almost 30, don’t have kids yet, but would love to someday. I’m very active and otherwise healthy. I have a bicuspid aortic valve with a 4.5 cm ascending aortic aneurysm. I’m only 5’1”, so that makes my aneurysm more on the “moderate” side. Depending on who I talk to, that’s concerning to some, while others still feel it’s in the “watch and monitor” phase. My aortic valve also has moderate stenosis and isn’t quite at an operable level yet. However, if we decide to repair the aneurysm, we would definitely replace the aortic valve at the same time. Dr. El-Hamamsy said the choice is fully mine. If I chose to have surgery now, it would be a very proactive approach. On the other hand, I could continue monitoring everything every 6 months and very well be just fine for a while, too. There are two things that make me lean toward surgery sooner rather than later: 1. I was told I need to have this taken care of before I have kids. I’m not married and not currently in a relationship, so it’s not an immediate concern. But I’m turning 30 this year, and if/when I do meet my person, I don’t want to have to say, “Wait… before we can start a family, I have to have major open-heart surgery.” 2. I’m a very active person. I love working out. I used to do CrossFit but have since switched to HIIT with lots of modifications. I feel like I’m constantly asking myself, “Am I pushing too hard?” I know staying active and healthy is important, but I also feel like I’m always walking a fine line. Anyways… if you’ve made it this far, thank you. 😊 I’m curious what you would do if you were in my shoes, or if you’ve been in a similar situation, how did you make your decision? I’m forever grateful for this platform and this community. I’ve said this before, but before meeting all of you, I truly thought I was destined for surgery very soon and that a mechanical valve with lifelong anticoagulants was my only option. Hearing your stories and learning about the Ross procedure has completely changed my perspective, and I’ll always be thankful for that.