Kenneth's Journal

Hello, HeartValveSurgery friends!

I thought I would at last enter some information into this journal. This website and Adam Pick's guide to heart valve surgery have been very helpful to me.

I was diagnosed with bicuspid aortic valve around the year 2000 (although I was known to have a heart murmur since childhood). The valve has been monitored since then with yearly echocardiograms, CT scans, and an MRI in 2015. I have been, and continue to be, asymptomatic. I exercise regularly, take long walks and cycle when weather permits on the weekends. (I only cycle on trails, cycling in car traffic makes me nervous.) My main problem is aortic regurgitation, although mild calcification was noted on my last CT scan).  Due to changes in insurance as well as doctor relocations, I've had four cardiologists since my diagnosis.

In 2023 my cardiologist said he thought it might be time for surgery based on my latest scans which indicated severe regurgitation. I was surprised as I hadn't noticed any detrimental changes. So I underwent a heart catheterization and met with a surgeon at the same hospital as my cardiologist.

I didn't care much for this guy. I didn't feel welcomed from the get-go. He remarked that I was "very young to be having heart valve surgery," and, "Most of my patients are in their 70s and 80s." I was 57 years old at the time, and we here all know that while many patients are in their 70s and 80s, heart valve patients come in all ages. He also said he would only consider a mechanical valve due to my age, and if I wanted a bioprosthetic valve he would recommend me to another surgeon. He wanted to "pencil me in" for a surgery date, the sooner the better. It felt like being pressured by a car salesman.

I think I would have got a second opinion for such a major surgery, but Adam Pick's book reinforced that decision. I found a surgeon that was recommended on this site, in fact Adam has interviewed him (twice, I think). I had my medical records transferred to the new surgeon and had more scans done at the new hospital. Curiously, my new scans now indicated mild regurgitation (the last scan at the old hospital indicated severe regurgitation... I don't know what's going on there).

To make an already long story short(er), the new surgeon said that surgery was not needed at this time but would most likely be needed in the future. I was stunned, really. I mostly wanted to find a surgeon I was comfortable with and respected my choice (I was leaning toward a bioprosthetic valve rather than mechanical). This was in 2023. My scans from last year showed negligible change, and I'm scheduled for new scans this year in May.

I hope this story emphasizes the importance of a second opinion and feeling comfortable with your doctors and surgeons.