"Five Stars Isn’t Enough!
I went to Cedars-Sinai for cervical spine surgery after being cleared from a cardiac standpoint. I have a known bicuspid aortic valve, and prior echocardiograms at Cedars had shown only mild calcification — something we expected to address years down the road, possibly with TAVR. At the time, the findings were not severe enough to warrant intervention.
However, while under anesthesia — before the first incision — my blood pressure suddenly dropped to 40. The team acted immediately, aborted the spine surgery, and performed an intraoperative TEE. What they discovered likely saved my life: a severely calcified bicuspid aortic valve that had been underestimated on prior imaging, including a partially immobile leaflet causing critical obstruction.
Within hours, while I was still in recovery, I was reevaluated by the cardiac team at Cedars-Sinai.
Dr. Raj Makkar thoughtfully reconsidered TAVR. Technically, he could have performed it. However, given my relatively young age, strong surgical profile, the heavy calcification, and the asymmetric anatomy of my valve, he recommended surgical valve replacement instead. He explained that in my specific case, given the condition and structure of my valve, TAVR would most likely require additional intervention — potentially including a stent — which could complicate future spine surgery and long-term management. That level of restraint and long-view thinking impressed me deeply.
That recommendation led me to Dr. Pedro Catarino. From our first meeting, Dr. Catarino was calm, measured, and transparent. There was no hard sell, just clarity, experience, and confidence backed by data. After reviewing his outcomes and speaking with him at length, I made the decision to proceed with open-heart surgical valve replacement.
He performed the operation flawlessly. Post-operatively, he visited multiple times — not only in a clinical capacity, but personally. At one point, we hugged. I thanked him for saving my life. He thanked me for entrusting him with it. That moment said everything about who he is.
The Smidt Heart Institute team operates like a world-class orchestra.
From the cardiac anesthesia specialists to the perfusion team, ICU nurses, and recovery staff — every individual knew their role and executed it with precision. As I was wheeled into the operating room and saw the depth of expertise focused entirely on one goal, I felt I was in the best possible hands.
Today, I have a new bioprosthetic valve, complete removal of the calcified native valve, and a future that feels wide open again.
Cedars-Sinai didn’t just fix my heart. They made the right call at every critical decision point.
To Dr. Catarino and the entire Smidt Heart Institute team: you were my guardians and my angels. I will never forget it."
-- Robert Marandino, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Median Sternotomy, 12/23/2025
"Dr. Catarino was amazing. He answered all of my questions completely and made sure that I understood. He made me feel as if I was his sole focus and priority. He partnered with me is devising a care plan specifically for me. I felt respected at all times. I was terrified, but Dr Catarino was such a calming presence!
He is the most humble and gracious surgeon I’ve ever met. He truly embodies a team attitude in his patient care. His Nurse Practitioner, Marion McCray and his scheduler, Sarah Peepall, are wonderful, kind and patient-centered.
I whole heartedly (pun intended) recommend this outstanding surgeon and his team!"
-- Ruth Kaminski, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, 07/15/2025
"I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Pedro Catarino, his outstanding team, and his nurse practitioner, Marion McRae. I underwent a very major procedure—an aortic root replacement with aortic valve replacement along with a triple bypass—and from start to finish, I felt I was in the best possible hands.
Dr. Catarino inspired confidence from the very beginning. He was always available, took the time to answer questions, and made me feel reassured before surgery. That confidence was completely validated by how smoothly everything went.
My surgery and recovery went as well as I could have hoped. I experienced very limited pain, and within about three months I felt fully recovered—honestly better than ever.
I am deeply grateful for the skill, care, professionalism, and compassion shown by Dr. Catarino, Marion McRae, and the entire team. They gave me not only excellent medical care, but real peace of mind during one of the most important moments of my life. Highest recommendation."
-- Craig Shore, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Median Sternotomy, Root Replacement, Coronary Artery Bypass, 07/14/2025
"The condition I had is often likened to a "silent ticking time bomb". One moment, you might be walking down the street, and the next, the aorta could rupture without warning, leaving little to no time for proper medical intervention and resulting in death within minutes.
I went to the hospital for a routine ankle surgery. During pre-operative testing, my EKG revealed a significant issue: my ascending aorta measured approximately 5.6 cm—nearly the size of a garden hose. This alarming discovery led to a referral to Cedars-Sinai. However, I wanted to explore my options, seeking the best possible procedure with minimally invasive techniques and cutting-edge surgical advancements.
One of the greatest challenges I faced was obtaining sufficient information from cardiologists about the procedure. This lack of clarity made it difficult to fully evaluate my options. Determined to find the best care, I eventually asked my cardiologist for a referral to a leading expert in the field—a true “hot shot.”
That’s how I was introduced to Dr. Catarino.
Dr. Catarino stood out for his expertise, low complication rates, and ability to perform advanced minimally invasive procedures, including 3-inch incisions. I ultimately decided to proceed with him, and I am glad with the care I received. I stayed in the hospital for five days and completed three months of cardiac rehabilitation. Thankfully, my recovery went smoothly, and I am now doing well.
My experience reinforced the importance of thorough research and staying informed about emerging techniques. Dr. Catarino was exceptional, and I am grateful for his skill and care. For anyone facing a similar situation, I cannot emphasize enough the value of advocating for yourself and exploring all available options."
-- William Mead, Aortic Valve, Root Replacement, 07/05/2025
"I never even knew that I had a life-threatening condition. I was going through pre-op testing for a cataract operation on my eyes, when they were sliding the ultrasound paddle around on my chest and found a 4.8 cm bulge on my ascending aorta coming off the top of my heart, and a 4.6 cm aneurysm at its root. And if they hadn’t found it, it would have burst, and I would have bled to death internally. Simple as that. I’ve known people that have died that way, and there are never any symptoms until it’s often too late. So,
I was super lucky when they found it and was able to get the right care. At first, my cardiologist, Dr. Joe Ebinger, helped me manage it with blood pressure meds. But the ascending aortic aneurysm continued to grow rather dangerously past the 5 cm threshold for surgery, which is when he referred me to my surgeon - Dr. Pedro Catarino. When Dr. Catarino took one look at what had become a 5.2 cm aneurysm he just said, “well, there’s no sense in waiting.”
My first response was to be a bit scared. But then I found out that one of the friends that I surf with had had a frozen elephant trunk operation with Dr. Catarino, where her entire aortic arch had to be replaced.
After her surgery with Dr. Catarino, she was back to surfing and doing GREAT. That’s when I felt NO STRESS. I thought to myself that if Dr. Catarino replaced her entire aorta, then my little partial replacement would be “easy-peasy.”And so, with my friend’s story about Dr. Catarino, I stopped worrying. Now - I’m sharing my story so that YOU don’t have to worry, either.
My six days in the hospital was quite an experience. When I was on that table, Dr. Catarino cooled my body down so he could replace my swollen ascending aorta and its root with a graft. It turned out my aortic valve was OK and didn’t need replacement. Although I had tubes in my body after the surgery, I was up and walking within 5 hours of waking up. The ENTIRE nursing staff was great. They helped me through the worst part, which was waking up with a tube down my throat, catheters in my neck, and a tube in my stomach sucking out body fluids from the surgery.
The tubes were all removed within 3-4 days. The one nurse who stood out was Saba Abrishami. She pulled the tube out of my throat just hours after surgery and gave me Icee drinks to sooth my throat. There was also an IV machine that pumped several different meds into me. About 3-4 days after my surgery, Dr. Catarino came to my room and spent around fifteen minutes talking with me. I was able to take my picture with him. We shared our love of bike riding, and he kept answering all my questions. Four months later, I’m back to weightlifting, biking, paddle tennis, and to walking 6-8 miles per day. I want to join a gym, and I can’t wait to surf again - soon. I’m also looking forward to my next MRI showing that everything inside me is all healed up the way it should be, and that the aneurysm is gone. I feel great. I can’t even tell you how great I feel!
As far as I’m concerned, Dr. Catarino is the best doctor I’ve ever met. Not only is he the best in the country - he’s world class. He’s “the man.” He is so genuine. So sincere. So caring. And the best person. Dr. Catarino has given me a second lease on life - a second life. And I’m going to enjoy it to the fullest. Anyone under his care is blessed. I’ll just say that God brought me to him. If I had to go through a surgery like this - I’m just glad that Dr. Catarino was the one. And if you ever need surgery on your heart or your aorta - you’ll be blessed with Dr. Catarino, too!
"
-- Harris Jaffy, Aortic Valve, Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacement, Median Sternotomy, 06/09/2025
"Dr. Catarino is amazing. Soft spoken. After describing the problem in detail, I was given a choice as to when to have the procedure done based upon the problem. His nurse practitioner, Marion McRae, communicated wonderfully as well. It involved replacing the aortic valve and previous graft.
The open heart surgery went very well as planned. Recovery was one day in intensive care unit and three days in the hospital, then home.
I was treated kindly and incredibly well by all the nurses and staff. Cedars-Sinai Hospital is the best decision I could have made for the operation, and so lucky to have had Dr. Catarino as the surgeon."
-- Eric Graf, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, 05/23/2025
"My story begins with my family. Losing my brother to a heart attack four years ago was devastating. But sometimes it’s what we learn from our pain that makes all the difference. When that difficult loss occurred, my cardiologist, Dr. Erika Jones, recommended a full workup of my own heart, including genetic testing. At first, I was scared and put it off for a year. But then, I took the plunge and underwent a battery of tests. Genetic testing showed no problems with my heart. But an ultrasound of my heart did show something. That’s when the silent killer was discovered - a 4.8 cm bulge in my aorta that was well past the 3 cm normal measurement. I had heard of aneurysms before. As an entertainment editor for Variety Magazine in Hollywood, I knew that John Ritter died when his burst. And Jonathan Larson, the composer of the Broadway musical Rent, died suddenly from a ruptured aneurysm the night before its off-Broadway premiere. He was just 35. So, I already knew that my problem was serious, and I immediately became a partner in my own care. That’s when Dr. Jones referred me to my surgeon, Dr. Dominick Megna, at Cedars. Dr. Megna and Dr. Jones started tracking my aneurysm right away. Within a year of my first meeting with Dr. Megna in the spring of 2024, the measurement grew to 4.9 cm. That’s when Dr. Megna said that I should have surgery as soon as possible to avoid a fatal rupture incident, and because “the older you get, the harder the recovery.”
Dr. Megna and his entire staff were simply incredible. When my surgery had to be postponed due a scheduling change at the hospital, Dr. Megna called to tell me personally. Then, during my prep for surgery, when Dr. Megna came in, I asked him to pray for me. He agreed and said that prayer was important to him, too. After surgery, as I lay in the ICU waiting for the different tubes to be pulled out, the nurses were simply angels on earth. Tina Noori took especially good care of me, as did Kyla Miller, and two NP’s - Theresa Yeomans and Marion McCrae. Marion was Dr. Megna’s clinic nurse practitioner, and she was there for me every time I came in for an appointment. And then there was Dr. Megna, himself. He has a great bedside manner. He makes everyone feel comfortable. I later learned that Dr. Megna had a co-surgeon, Dr. Pedro Catarino. So, I have to recommend and thank Dr. Catarino for my great outcome, too. I had a bit of A-fib after my surgery and stayed on oxygen for a while. But I was home in eight days and kept taking longer walks every time I went out. During my months at home, I met with a physical therapist three times per week and regained my strength with three months of cardiac rehab, which included walking on a treadmill and riding a stationary bicycle. Throughout my recovery, Dr. Megna and Dr. Jones always answered all my questions. Every time I had the slightest concern, they calmed me down a lot. My aorta once again measures a perfect 3 cm. And even better - my scar barely even shows!
I love being back walking my dogs and living my life. Now, just over six months since surgery, I’ve just made my first trips to Las Vegas and New York for work and vacation. In fact, I recently presented an award to the CEO of Cedars-Sinai, Dr. Peter Slavin, for the hospital’s support of Project Angel Food. And I have a new cause - aortic awareness. I’ve been inspired by John Ritter’s widow, Amy Yasbeck, who founded The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health with a mission of promoting more awareness of the silent killer, and for ensuring that the African American community, which is disproportionately affected, receives adequate care. As an entertainment editor, I attend a lot of award shows and am often asked for my opinion. But when it comes to heart surgery, I’ll make it simple: All the awards should go to Dr. Megna and his entire care team, because they’re the REAL THING! Dr. Megna, his co-surgeon Dr. Catarino, and the choir of angels serving as their nurses — will always get a rave review from this Hollywood reporter.
"
-- Marc Malkin, Aortic Valve, Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacement, Valve Repair, Median Sternotomy, 03/19/2025
"I always knew that someday I would need surgery again. Back in 2011, I had my aortic valve replaced along with a triple bypass. Every time you have your heart valve replaced, you eventually need another replacement surgery, usually at around fifteen years. By 2024, my cardiologist, Dr. Peter Fung, said that after 13 years, that the time had come for me to get my second replacement valve. The scan also showed that my ascending aorta had a 5.4 cm aneurysm and that I would need another coronary bypass. This is when he sent me to Dr. Bowdish and Dr. Catarino at Cedars-Sinai to do my surgery.
Before the surgery, I met with Dr. Bowdish. He was very nice and answered all my questions. The surgery with Dr. Bowdish and Dr. Catarino was excellent. They replaced my ascending aorta, gave me my second replacement aortic valve, and did another bypass. I was only in the hospital for six days. I was up walking in three days and was back to work within a month. The doctors and nurses at Cedars managed my pain very well.
I want to thank the entire team at Cedars - Dr. Bowdish, Dr. Catarino, and all the nurses - they are all professionals! I recommend Dr. Bowdish and Dr. Catarino 100%!!! "
-- Efren Gutierrez, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Reoperation, Median Sternotomy, Root Replacement, Coronary Artery Bypass, 10/02/2024
"In the testimonial that I just shared for Dr. Emerson, I explained that my story is a two-part miracle involving two heart surgeries in eleven days.
The second part began when I thought was going home after my first surgery. I’d turned down an opportunity to have my preexisting aortic aneurysm repaired along with my mitral valve because I didn’t want my chest cut open when my valve could be robotically repaired through a small hole. Thinking I still had a few years before my aorta ruptured, I was shocked to learn in my exit scan that MY AORTA WAS RUPTURING! I was immediately rushed for a more detailed scan, which confirmed that emergency surgery was needed. I remember nothing until I awoke from surgery, and my hero appeared.
Dr. Dominick Megna leaned over me and said that he had repaired my aorta. He was very calm, clear, and extremely good at answering my questions. I was out of danger and Dr. Megna had done a fabulous job. I later learned that Dr. Pedro Catarino performed the surgery with him, and he did a great job, as well. It was my recovery that was challenging. As occasionally happens following heart surgeries, my lungs filled with fluid and had to be drained several times.
But through it all, Dr. Megna and his team made me feel really cared for. And his nurse practitioner, Marion McCrae, became a special lifeline. Marion was a constant source of information, encouragement, and emotional support. I’m both a print and television journalist, and I’ve learned that writing about things helps us regain our sense of control after a challenging experience. When I wrote an article about my two surgeries, Marion read it and encouraged me to publish it. This second surgery had been complex involving repair of the entire ascending aorta including the root and arch, and the aortic valve.
After surgery, I was no longer short of breath with my new aortic valve. And my lifelong heart murmur was gone. Looking back, I’m just grateful I was at Cedars when my aorta ruptured. I was surrounded by surgeons and nurses for both surgeries who performed superbly well. Their work is incredible and it’s a miracle that I’m still here.
Miracles are self-recommending. And Dr. Megna, Dr. Catarino, and Dr. Emerson and their entire care team at Cedars are all in the miracle business!"
-- Judy Muller, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Median Sternotomy, Root Replacement, 07/30/2024
"My diagnosis came about through treatment for another medical problem. In November 2020, while
having a portion of my left lung removed, the ultrasound showed that I also had an aneurysm in my
aortic arch, the portion of the large blood vessel through the center of the body that curves up and then downward above the heart.
An echocardiogram was run, and it showed that about half of my blood wasn’t making it out of my heart because my aortic valve wasn’t working properly. My high blood pressure, when coupled with a low functioning aortic valve, is probably what caused the aneurysm in my aortic arch. I was also having trouble breathing, which is common for many people suffering from a low functioning aortic valve.
It became clear that I was going to need surgery. But when my local surgeon didn’t have the necessary equipment for the aortic and valve surgery that I needed, my insurance company did a search and found Dr. Catarino at Cedars-Sinai.
My experience with Dr. Catarino started with me going to his office, where both he and his staff made
me feel completely comfortable. They told me that I had nothing to fear and assured me that they could
take care of me. When I woke up from my surgery, I was pleasantly surprised that I had no pain other
than some discomfort in my shoulders which only lingered for a day or two. I also had no bruising. Dr.
Catarino has magical hands! I was up walking around the next morning which shocked and surprised my
friends, who weren’t expecting to see me up-and-about. Dr. Catarino’s bedside manner is great. He is
friendly, warm, and informative and knows just how to make a patient feel comfortable. He was also
able to complete my surgery in less than the expected five hours. The nursing staff is also terrific, and
they took wonderful care of me. I was only in the hospital at Cedars-Sinai for six days.
Looking back six months later, I’m having a much easier time breathing now and my physical therapy is going well. I couldn’t complain about Dr. Catarino and his team if I wanted to. I’m telling all my friends that if they ever need heart valve or aortic surgery, that they should head straight to Dr. Catarino!"
-- Peter Flores, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Median Sternotomy, Root Replacement, 01/09/2024
"I am a walking miracle. And I am alive today because Dr. Dominick Megna and Dr. Pedro Catarino and their team at Cedars-Sinai saved my life under the most extraordinary circumstances, and with the most challenging and high-risk of surgeries. How my condition was discovered, and that it was discovered at all, is truly an act of God. I live up in Northern California and I just happened to be in LA visiting my general practitioner about another medical condition. When he saw that my blood pressure was dangerously high, he advised me to go next door to the cardiologist for a doppler. This is when the severity of my circumstances became known. I was told that I was literally a house on fire, and that I had to get to the ER at Cedars immediately. I was told that I had a severe aneurysm of my aortic arch and aorta. The aorta is the large blood vessel arching off the top of the heart and carrying blood to my legs and all my internal organs. An aneurysm means that an artery is expanding and ballooning as its walls weaken. The more swollen it gets, the more danger there is of it rupturing, causing the victim to bleed to death internally within minutes. And the doppler showed that I was getting dangerously close to the edge of that cliff. I was told that I would die soon without emergency surgery.
I was terrified. A rush of events quickly followed. When I arrived at Cedars minutes later, the ER staff was already expecting me. I was placed in an ER bed and told that I needed to spend the night. One of the surgeons walked in gravely concerned about my condition. She then returned with three or four of her colleagues and I was wheeled into a room with a lot of equipment. It was there that I met my surgeon, Dr. Dominick Megna. I also met his colleague, Dr. Pedro Catarino, who would work with him on my very complex operation. As I lay there on the observation table, the images that they projected on the screen were horrifying. I was told that the aneurysm in my aortic arch and aorta had reached nearly seven centimeters, and that surgery is mandatory at five centimeters. I had a rip in my large aortic artery starting where it arches off the top of the heart and for several centimeters as it started to descend down towards my internal organs and legs. The doctors determined that the ballooning of my largest artery had probably started around two years prior. And as is so often the case with aortic aneurysms, I was completely asymptomatic. I had no idea how much danger I was in, and another hospital had already missed it. So, for two years I had been a walking time bomb waiting to explode. I was told that I needed surgery within two days. Prior to surgery, it was critical that they keep my blood pressure under control to prevent a fatal rupture. Medications to control my high blood pressure were administered to me immediately.
I was so scared that I went into emotional shock. It was as is my entire world was filled with the terror of
my circumstances.
flow. The surgery could easily last from 14 to 16 hours, and they would not know which type of aortic
As I met with Dr. Megna and Dr. Catarino, they were very sensitive to my predicament. As I signed the papers at the end of our meeting, they were honest and direct in advising me of the risk of stroke and brain damage due to either possible blood clots, or the interruption of blood valve would be needed until they were inside of my heart and aorta.
This massive challenge had to be a team effort. Looking for something to provide comfort, I thought of my recent business trip to Nigeria where I had learned the Muslim greeting, “Inshalla,” which means “God willing.” It is customary for Muslims to speak this phrase when expressing optimism and hope for the future. As we concluded our meeting, I asked Dr. Megna and Dr. Catarino to each look me in the eye and to tell me that everything was going to be OK. And as they each clasped my hand and did this, they added — “Inshalla.”
The next morning, as I was wheeled in for my surgery, the head anesthesiologist looked at me and asked how I felt. “Terrified,” I uttered back. “Well, if you weren’t, I’d be worried about you,” he replied. Then we started to talk about my career in international food supply. And the next thing I knew — I was waking up in the recovery room. Incredibly, I had survived fourteen hours of surgery. I could tell what was going on and could think clearly. As my recovery progressed, it was clear that not only had I survived, but I had also avoided a stroke and would have no brain damage. Dr. Megna and Dr. Catarino had worked wonders for me.
Everything had started so quickly in my case because my surgery was an emergency. But from the word “go,” everyone at Cedars was wonderful. It was in the recovery room that I really got to spend some time with the nurses, doctors, and staff at Cedars. And Dr. Megna’s bedside manner is exemplary. His way of communicating with his patients reveals an incredibly professional doctor who is deeply engaged in his patients at a very high level of understanding. Throughout everything, his polite and well- mannered way was constantly comforting under the most frightening of circumstances. He can deliver hard news in a way that is soft — but not too soft. Dr. Megna conveys professional strength and confidence — but without seeming like it’s about him. For his confidence is about his patients and what they feel and need to hear. Aside from Dr. Megna and Dr. Catarino, several other surgeons also stopped into my room to visit me because there had been so many concerns that I might not survive my surgery. The entire surgical staff was thrilled by my progress. Even in a heart surgery program known for taking on the hardest cases that other hospitals turn down, I was told that mine was an especially exciting success.
And as my recovery progressed over the next three and a half months, it became apparent that I would not only survive – but thrive. I followed my rehab regiment to the letter. The surgery had certainly affected my body and I had a lot of rebuilding to do. Spending part of my recovery in Palm Desert with my sister, I started to walk a mile each day within a few months after the surgery. By staying true to my rehab plan, I was able to fully return to my career and civilian life by the end of November, just three and a half months after surgery.
Over a year later, my entire experience with Dr. Megna seems like the most incredible miracle. Somehow, I just happened to be visiting LA from Northern California; and I just happened to be seeing my general practitioner for another medical condition; and my GP just happened to suggest that I get checked out by a cardiologist for high blood pressure; where a doppler just happened to show how much danger I was in. All told – if just one of those steps was missing, I wouldn’t have gone to Dr.
entire aortic arch affected blood flow to every part of my body from my brain to my feet, Dr. Catarino’s
Because the replacement of my role in the surgery was the huge chore of maintaining perfusion, which means blood flow, throughout my entire body while working with Dr. Megna, who sewed in my new arch and branching arteries made of Dacron.
Megna and his team at Cedars for them to perform yet another round of miracles — and I wouldn’t be here now.
Today, over a year later, I feel great. Dr. Megna took me from “terror” to “terrific.” I have seen Dr. Megna twice since leaving the hospital. I have brought him a company hat along with fresh produce from my work. Fully back to my career, there is stress in my life again. But it is the right kind of stress related to my successful career. For when it comes to stress, I never have to worry about my heart. Dr. Megna, Dr. Catarino, and their team at Cedars all took care of that. I had asked them to look me in the eye at the most frightening moment in my life and to speak the Muslim blessing asking for the optimistic will of God. They had clasped my hand and said, “Inshalla.” And thanks to them, God was willing — indeed."
-- Douglas Williams, Aortic Valve, Valve Repair, Root Replacement, 08/21/2023
"I had always known that I was at risk for a rare but serious heart infection because I was born with a small extra hole between my ventricles. In my early 30s, I suddenly developed a persistent, low-grade fever without any explanation. It slowly progressed to shortness of breath, weakness, vision changes, palpitations, and bleeding under my skin.
Because heart infections are so rare, particularly in young people, local doctors failed to recognize it until it had progressed to end stage heart failure and sepsis. An echocardiogram revealed a visible overgrowth of bacteria inside my heart. I was informed that my aortic valve was dead, having succumbed to the infection. It had been reduced to a loose flap dangling uselessly, no longer able to pump enough blood away from my heart and into my body. I was immediately transferred to a more advanced hospital, but the surgeon there was very honest about the severity and complexity of my condition.
The required surgery was beyond his expertise, and I was told there was a high risk of me dying during or after surgery. He made some calls and told me he found a surgeon at Cedars-Sinai who was very confident he could take my case. I was then helicoptered down to Los Angeles. That same night, another discovery was made: I was seven weeks pregnant.
Suddenly, surgery for one became surgery for two. I was told that due to the nature of my surgery, my baby might not survive. Dr. Pedro Catarino was confident, calm, and compassionate. He was incredibly generous with his time talking with my very worried husband about the nature of the surgery, why specific surgical decisions were made given my unique circumstances, and what my future prognosis looked like. Dr. Catarino expertly recommended a modern, state of the art bioprosthetic valve over an "old school" mechanical valve, in order to allow me to carry a healthy baby and continue an active life as a young athletic woman. The idea of a large sternotomy incision was not only scary, but I was quietly worried about having such a gruesome scar.
Dr. Catarino expertly performed the smallest sternotomy ever done at Cedars-Sinai. I'm happy to say that I can still wear a two-piece bathing suit with confidence, and nobody would ever know I had open heart surgery.
Dr. Richard Kim, Dr. Catarino’s co-surgeon, closed the hole in my heart to prevent a future recurrence of the infection that took my aortic valve. Dr. Kim was incredibly kind and thoroughly reassured me about all my worries before my surgery. The surgical team worked closely with the hospital's OB team to ensure the best possible odds of survival for my baby. After surgery, the very first thing that they did was a pelvic ultrasound -- my baby was safe — and thriving! I recovered in the ICU for a few more days.
Right before I left the hospital, I was so happy with the nursing staff that I filled out around twenty standing ovation cards. Within two weeks after my discharge, I went for a long walk outdoors and cleared 20,000 steps. The minimally invasive incision pioneered by Dr. Catarino allowed me to drive and go back to work much sooner than is typical for a standard sternotomy. My pregnancy progressed flawlessly without any complications, and I was even able to have a homebirth like I always wanted. Three years after my surgery, my husband and I now have two young daughters. The bioprosthetic valve was the perfect choice for my lifestyle and made having a family possible.
Dr. Catarino received both of my daughters' birth announcements. I also send Dr. Catarino and his team a Christmas card every year with updates about how we are doing. My valve requires a replacement after about 15 years, and my hope is to have it performed by Dr. Catarino. I would gladly drive 3 hours out of town just to have him as my heart surgeon again, even though there are much more convenient options closer to home. I wouldn't choose anyone else, and I'd highly recommend him to anyone in need of a surgeon they can trust.
"
-- Xander Edmonds, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Mini Sternotomy, 05/31/2023
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