Dr. Robbin Cohen
, Heart Surgeon

"I never thought that twenty hours of flying to and from Indonesia would end up saving my life. But when I went to the ER at Huntington with pain in my left side thinking that pneumonia was my only problem, that’s exactly what happened. And when the scan showed three blood clots in my lung from the flight, it was then that a hidden depth charge - a swelling in my aortic root - was revealed. Known as an aortic aneurysm, had this silent killer with no symptoms ruptured, I would have bled to death internally within minutes. I would have never known why.

The aneurysm had nothing to do with the flight and had been quietly building for years. But it was discovered only because of lung problems caused by the flight. That is when Dr. Bowdish, Dr. Cohen, and Dr. Federico Sertic showed up in the ER to talk with me and to explain what the aneurysm meant. Simply put - I needed surgery as soon as possible. Both my sister and I researched who the best surgeons would be for the type of surgery that I needed, and our conclusion was that we had already found the best surgeons right where we were. Dr. Bowdish was very easy to talk to. He explained that at 4.9 cm of swelling, my aorta was right at the cusp of needing surgery. He also explained that I did not need new heart valves. My aortic valve could be repaired, and the aorta and its root could be replaced with a graft.

Throughout it all, the constant professionalism of Dr. Bowdish and his team helped me to stay relaxed while intubated and helped me to recover very quickly. His team kept me comfortable and confident. I was able to drive within forty days (you don’t want those airbags to deploy until the ribs are healed). And soon I was back to lifting weights, swimming, hiking, and running. By March, I was serving as an assistant principal at a high school, helping and mentoring new administrators, and then served as principal of summer school in summer 2024. By November 2024, I was refereeing high school basketball again. Best of all, I was also able to work again at my favorite job supervising the floor staff and ushers at the Greek Theater where the best perk is getting to see every show! I cannot recommend Dr. Bowdish, Dr. Cohen, Dr. Sertic, and their PA, Melissa Griffin, highly enough. Their combination of incredible technical and emotional skills gives them a constantly friendly and welcoming way. They helped me get through what could have easily been traumatic with as much calm and comfort as possible.

One never knows how something asymptomatic like an aneurysm will be discovered. But this is one time when a little discomfort from a long flight ended up being a blessing in disguise - and lead me to Dr. Bowdish and his team - a blessing in full view! "

Posted by John Finn, Aortic Valve, Valve Sparing, Valve Repair, Median Sternotomy, Root Replacement, 10/18/2023

"First off, I really didn't see him that much! Mostly his partners in the practice. However, they were great and when i did see him, he was very nice!! I was very happy with the results! I was up and moving in just 2 days, and have been since! I was blessed with my experiences."

Posted by Doyle Gordon, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, 11/10/2010