Krissie's Journal

Corey Potter  Hi Krissie!  I'm just down the road from you in Terre Haute.  I just had my aortic valve replaced on July 11th at Cleveland Clinic by Dr. Michael Tong.   I had an Abbott Epic Max porcine valve implanted.  There is a very good video on YouTube with Dr. Tong and Dr. Ed Soltesz that discusses this valve. I believe they started using this valve in late 2023 and have had great results.  I did get a second opinion from Franciscan and the cardiologist told me that he would not recommend a mechanical valve.  Not sure why as he works closely with Dr. Gerdisch.  I went back and forth and decided on this valve.  I think I would have been fine with either.  The Abbott valve is designed to take a future TAVR and Dr. Tong goes into that in depth.  My surgery was flawless.  As for Dr. Heimansohn, he has a very good reputation.  I met with a cardiologist from there but just didn't get a good vibe.  I know people who have had a great experience there.  I ultimately chose Cleveland Clinic because of the volume they do.  Northwestern was on my shortlist.  I don't think you can go wrong with any of those centers.  Not sure what to tell you on the procedure and valve choice.  i have heard the Ross is not the best procedure for aortic regurgitation but there are some differing opinions on that.  My aortic valve was graded at moderate to severe but the intraoperative echo showed that had changed to severe and when they opened me up, said the left cusp was prolapsing, had multiple fenestrations and had a hematoma.  So, it was basically trash.  I was hoping for a repair but when I woke up from surgery I heard my wife talking about my new valve.   I was just happy I woke up!  Best of luck to you and your decision.  

Krissie Shimala  Hello fellow Hoosier! Thanks for replying & sharing your experience, Corey. Happy to hear your recent surgery went well at Cleveland & your recovery is going smoothly. I went to Cleveland for my first replacement & echo the great experience, considering the circumstances lol. I recently learned several Cleveland physicians are now at Northwestern so can’t go wrong with either it seems. Happy Recovery & thanks again!