Darren Wettig - Heart Valve Journal

My Journal

8 hours ago

i'm feeling uneasy right now about my situation after the weekend. I haven't been able to reach my surgeon's team to get clarification about a notification ...Read more

i'm feeling uneasy right now about my situation after the weekend. I haven't been able to reach my surgeon's team to get clarification about a notification I got over the weekend. It was to let me know that my surgery will be in a few weeks instead of what they told me as recently as 2 weeks ago when they said I would be able to have it until late summer/September.

The more concerning part is that it says the surgical plan has changed. They have me down for a Ross Procedure now instead of the valve sparing aortic root replacement that was discussed with me. Ross Procedure has never been mentioned. They were always planning to do either a Bentall Procedure, or if they could save the valve, the Valve Sparing Aortic Root Replacement. The valve sparing was the surgeons preferred option and he was 80-90% confident they could do it.

This may have been an error listing it as a Ross Procedure. Or they may have received new information that makes me ineligible for the valve sparing procedure. I don't know why else it would have been changed but I'm uneasy that such a major decision was made without consulting with me.

This is bringing up a lot of negative feelings from my last experience with this hospital. I had neurosurgery on my head in 1996 and it was a very unfortunate experience that had lasting negative consequences. I'm trying to not let this rule my anxiety but its hard.

John Cook I was bumped back 2 weeks because of someone else’s emergency surgery. I didn’t like it but under ... Read more

John Cook I was bumped back 2 weeks because of someone else’s emergency surgery. I didn’t like it but understood it.

You definitely sound like you need to have a phone call with the surgeon’s office about why they bumped you up and changed the procedure. If you recently had a CT-A or ECHO, they might have saw something that made the valve sparing operation not a good option and made them consider moving your surgery up.

Richard Munson Sounds like they are in charge of your health care, not you. Should be the other way around.

Susan Lynn Darren - Nothing will happen without your permission. But, if you're dissatisfied with your last ex ... Read more

Susan Lynn Darren - Nothing will happen without your permission. But, if you're dissatisfied with your last experience at this facility, why are you going back? Is that mandated by your healthcare in Canada?

J Alexander Lassally Switching the surgery type without your knowledge sounds super shady ! Get to the bottom of that and ... Read more

J Alexander Lassally Switching the surgery type without your knowledge sounds super shady ! Get to the bottom of that and only do what you think is best given your risk/benefit...

I find that some surgeons like to use patients for their own betterment -suggesting things THEY like and THEY do regardless of benefit risk or long term durability... It is up to you to be moral agent for yourself... especially if you had previous issues. Seek clarification !

Rose Madura I see a lot of red flags here. You should seek out a second opinion and you must be your own advocat ... Read more

Rose Madura I see a lot of red flags here. You should seek out a second opinion and you must be your own advocate. To send that information in a notice and over a weekend at that seems insensitive to me. Once of the best pieces of advice I received was that you must feel comfortable with your cardiologist and surgeon. I realize that health care in Canada is different but others on this site from Canada were able to take control over their situation. Hopefully, they will chime in here. Godspeed. Please keep us posted.