Cleveland Clinic and cath

[nancym]

I am having AVR at the CC Nov 11th. My cardio at home refused to do a cath because he said that often at the CC, the doctors will say a cath from where you live is not good enough and they want to repeat it there. Just curious--how many of you had caths where you live and then came to the CC for surgery? Did anybody have their cath from home refused and then repeated at the CC?

 

[Bina]

I was not at the CC, but my surgeon wanted me to do the cath with him so that he would be totally prepared for whatever came up in surgery. As it turned out, the cath showed that my aorta root was enlarged and thus he was ready to deal with it if needed.

 

[Eva]

Nancym, my surgeon wanted me to do the cath at the same hospital of the surgery. He also wanted to do TEE in his office, not at the cardio's. Luckily, he did the TEE just before the surgery right after I was drugged. So, I did not have to deal with the taste of whatever I had to drink.

I think this is the norm with surgeons.

Good luck.

 

[Ross]

It depends on how long ago the original cath was done. If it's less then 6 months, I'm pretty sure they won't subject you to another.

 

[ponytaila1a]

I was at the CC last week. My cardio had told me the CC would not see me unless he sent a cath report with my records. I fell for it and had a cath locally. It went very well and I very much liked the surgeon who did it, but was afraid I would have to have another one. I asked at the CC. Their reply was that they like to do it themselves, but since I had one within six months they would accept it. My cath showed very clean, perhaps that was the reason, but they did not say that. Jennifer

 

[ALCapshaw2]

I am having AVR at the CC Nov 11th. My cardio at home refused to do a cath because he said that often at the CC, the doctors will say a cath from where you live is not good enough and they want to repeat it there. Just curious--how many of you had caths where you live and then came to the CC for surgery? Did anybody have their cath from home refused and then repeated at the CC?

It would appear that the ONLY (or at least the BEST) way to get an answer to the Quesition of whether CC will accept a 'local' cath vs. require another at CC is the ASK the Surgeon at CC. Then you will KNOW what HE wants to do.

 

[thenewmarket]

My husband had BAV repair and ascending aortic aneurysm repair at Cleveland Clinic. Some of our original testing (CT/Echo) was done in our small local hospital. The TEE/heart cath was done in a larger hospital in our area. All of our information was accepted by Cleveland Clinic without question. I am sure if they had any reservations they would have required that these procedures be redone at Cleveland Clinic prior to surgery. We actually went to CC and had all the pre-surgery things done, scheduled surgery at that point, and returned almost three weeks later for surgery. This was our choice due to my husband's business. In our situation, this was the best path for us. However, most people do all the pre-surgery and follow through with surgery at that point!

Best wishes and if I can answer any questions about CC, just send me a PM and I will try to answer!

 

[Lionheart]

Nancy,
I had my cath done by my local cardio before I knew that I was going to select CC for my valve replacement. I sent it to them with all my other echo videos and doctor reports and they accepted everything with no comment. Once at CC, they did another x-ray and a very thorough echo prior to surgery.

John

 

[nancym]

Thanks for all your responses. To clarify---my surgeon at the CC said I could have my cath in Pittsburgh, and I made an appt with my cardio here for it. But when I got to his office for my pre-cath appt, he said he had decided that I shouldn't have it done here. I had had this appt with him for three weeks, so I can't figure out why he all of a sudden decided not to do it. If he felt that the Clinic might not accept it, why not tell me that weeks earlier? I was so surprised, I didn't ask him then, but I did talk to his office manager the next day, and she was very apologetic and said that I should have been told that right away. So I was just wondering if my cardio was correct in thinking that it might not have been accepted, even though my surgeon said it would be.

 

[kfay]

Nancy, My cardio at the Mayo told me that I could have had my cath/EP study at home before I came there for surgery or have it there. When I asked my local guy, he told me to let them do it there, that alot of times they prefer it that way, so that is what I did. It only really added an extra day to my time there.

For my first surgery years ago, Vanderbilt had done my cath and then when I went to Duke for surgery a couple of weeks later, they re-did it.

Kim

 

[shellyb]

My husband had his surgery at CC. His cath was done in South Dakota and didn't have to be repeated.

shellyb

 

[pamela]

My surgeon and his staff didn't have time to perform the work of an Interventional Cardiologist. The diagnostic imaging was done through my cardiologist's office, my surgery and post operative care was the realm of my cardio-thoracic surgeon. Of course, that's just how it worked in my experience. I'm sure everyone has a different circumstance.

 

[wtatc88]

MVR at CC on the 13th

MVR at CC on the 13th

Thanks for all your responses. To clarify---my surgeon at the CC said I could have my cath in Pittsburgh, and I made an appt with my cardio here for it. But when I got to his office for my pre-cath appt, he said he had decided that I shouldn't have it done here. I had had this appt with him for three weeks, so I can't figure out why he all of a sudden decided not to do it. If he felt that the Clinic might not accept it, why not tell me that weeks earlier? I was so surprised, I didn't ask him then, but I did talk to his office manager the next day, and she was very apologetic and said that I should have been told that right away. So I was just wondering if my cardio was correct in thinking that it might not have been accepted, even though my surgeon said it would be.

I'm scheduled for surgery at CC on Nov. 13th. I have presurgical testing on the 10th, A cath on the 11th, Presurgical visit on the 12th all at CC. I asked if I could use my other caths but it was denied because it had been over a year. But it sounded like he would have accepted it if if had been sooner. I didn't ask to schedule my cath locally. I am using Dr. Cho for the cath and she promised me a low dosage of dye. I have had so many caths that I swear I'm going to start glowing.

Are you able to schedule a cath at CC at this late date?

Tanya

 

[nancym]

Tanya--I did already have my cath at the CC about 10 days ago. Dr Dorosti did it, and although I had heard he was wonderful, he sure wasn't very nice to me--didn't introduce himself or say anything before he started and then yelled at me when I asked for more drugs because I was completely wide awake and alert and extremely anxious. I was just curious about everyone else's experiences. So maybe you and I will meet there. My surgery is the 11th. Dr Pettersson is doing it. Who's doing yours? Keep in touch. I'll be thinking of you. Nancy

 

[kfay]

Tanya--I did already have my cath at the CC about 10 days ago. Dr Dorosti did it, and although I had heard he was wonderful, he sure wasn't very nice to me--didn't introduce himself or say anything before he started and then yelled at me when I asked for more drugs because I was completely wide awake and alert and extremely anxious. Nancy

I had to chuckle when I read this...it reminded me of my cath I had at Duke when I was 17 before my first OHS. The Dr. came in and wasn't happy with the prep job that had been done on my groin area and was raising hell with everyone in the room. I was staring at him and he asked what I was looking at. In all of the bravdo that only a stupid 17 year old in that situation can have, I told him that he was an ass----. He said, "put her out", which they promptly did.

Fast forward about 14 years or so. I moved to Charlotte and was looking for a cardio and called the biggest clinic here. They referred me to this Dr. I thought his name sounded familiar but I didn't know why. When he walked into the room he said he knew me but that my name was different. When we put two and two together, it was the same Dr. from Duke who had done my cath. I reminded him that I had called him that and he said "you know what, I was an ass---- back then." We both had a good laugh and he was my Dr. until he retired years later.

Good luck to you both.

Kim

 

[wtatc88]

Tanya--I did already have my cath at the CC about 10 days ago. Dr Dorosti did it, and although I had heard he was wonderful, he sure wasn't very nice to me--didn't introduce himself or say anything before he started and then yelled at me when I asked for more drugs because I was completely wide awake and alert and extremely anxious. I was just curious about everyone else's experiences. So maybe you and I will meet there. My surgery is the 11th. Dr Pettersson is doing it. Who's doing yours? Keep in touch. I'll be thinking of you. Nancy

Dr. Gillinov is doing my MVR surgery. Would love to have it two days earlier. Like everyone says the waiting is the worst. Good luck in your surgery.