Cleveland Clinic

[DebbiN]

Hello all! I havent been on here too much lately, super busy. I have lurked a few times reading different posts. I wanted to share my news about my upcoming appointment at the Cleveland Clinic. It is August 22 and I am going to see a cardiologist and a cardiothoracic surgeon to evaluate my 5.0 ascending thoracic aneursym and bicuspid valve. I have been on the phone with a collegue of theirs today several times and he is going to make sure I see the right folks and have the right tests while there. More than likely my surgery to repair both will be in November. I am going to stay with my son and daughter in law after I get out of the hospital since they live in Canton, Oh, very close to Cleveland. She is a registered nurse so that will be perfect.

Debbi

 

[Phyllis]

Hi Debbi,
Sounds like you have all your ducks in a row and you are going to one of the best places. Wishing you luck on the 22nd. Be sure and let us know how you make out and your surgery date.
Phyllis

 

[Ross]

Well Debbi you'll be in my neighborhood then! Maybe a short visit is in order when your out and feeling a little better? If you could, PM about where in Canton they are and I can tell you exactly how many minutes I am away from there.

 

[Karen7]

Hello all! I havent been on here too much lately, super busy I wanted to share my news about my upcoming appointment at the Cleveland Clinic. It is August 22 and I am going to see a cardiologist and a cardiothoracic surgeon to evaluate my 5.0 ascending thoracic aneursym and bicuspid valve.

Debbi

Welcome, Debbi! I have never heard anything but the highest praise for the Cleveland Clinic and all it's physicians. All should go very well for you.

Karen

 

[amerz73]

Valve repair with Aortic Aneursym

Valve repair with Aortic Aneursym

I had surgery April 5, 2005. My Cardiologist, Dr.William Stewart, IS AWESOME!!!!!!! I highly recommend him. My surgeon, Dr. Lars Svennson, is AWESOME as well. I am 32 and back to better health than before surgery. Don't tell my wife, Ill have more house work. LOL LOL. Feel free to email me with any quesions.
[email protected]

Hello all! I havent been on here too much lately, super busy. I have lurked a few times reading different posts. I wanted to share my news about my upcoming appointment at the Cleveland Clinic. It is August 22 and I am going to see a cardiologist and a cardiothoracic surgeon to evaluate my 5.0 ascending thoracic aneursym and bicuspid valve. I have been on the phone with a collegue of theirs today several times and he is going to make sure I see the right folks and have the right tests while there. More than likely my surgery to repair both will be in November. I am going to stay with my son and daughter in law after I get out of the hospital since they live in Canton, Oh, very close to Cleveland. She is a registered nurse so that will be perfect.

Debbi

 

[Christian]

I had surgery April 5, 2005. My Cardiologist, Dr.William Stewart, IS AWESOME!!!!!!! I highly recommend him. My surgeon, Dr. Lars Svennson, is AWESOME as well. I am 32 and back to better health than before surgery. Don't tell my wife, Ill have more house work. LOL LOL. Feel free to email me with any quesions.
[email protected]

Hey, finally another patient of Dr. Stewart shows up. Dr. Stewart is my wife's cardiologist. We really like him also. She's 32 (like you) and is having mitral valve surgery in a few months. I'll make sure she sees this post. Maybe the two of you can chat a bit.

 

[FBK1]

Question?

Question?

Hey, finally another patient of Dr. Stewart shows up. Dr. Stewart is my wife's cardiologist. We really like him also. She's 32 (like you) and is having mitral valve surgery in a few months. I'll make sure she sees this post. Maybe the two of you can chat a bit.

Christian,

Did you also have an anuerysm repair along with your AVR?

I'd like to talk to you if you'd be so kind.

Glad to hear you are full of pep and enthusiam.

Thanks!

Fred

 

[Christian]

Christian,

Did you also have an anuerysm repair along with your AVR?

I'd like to talk to you if you'd be so kind.

Glad to hear you are full of pep and enthusiam.

Thanks!

Fred

It's actually the guy who posted before me that had the aortic valve repair. My heart's fine (my wife's the valver), though my mind could use some tinkering.

 

[DebbiN]

My Cleveland Clinic Appt is over

My Cleveland Clinic Appt is over

Well gang. First off, They were awesome there. I was there around 8 hours! I got to see about 4 different doctors. I had a CT scan and an echo. The films I brought with me from my docs in NC they were not impressed with. Apparently in NC where I live they are a bit behind in the medical field... hmmm I think I already knew that. Anyway my aneurysm is NOT 5.0 it is 4.5~~ .. How could my docs in NC be so far off!! And my bicuspid aortic valve is leaky but not so bad it warrants surgery right now. Plus when it is time for me to have surgery in the future years, I am going to be a bit more risky because I have had radiation for cancer and I have a lot of scarring and the surgery will be riskier and the recovery time a bit longer and tougher but we will deal with that later! They explained so much, changed some of my meds, gave me a bit of advice, told me I could exercise more and told me to come back in 6 months!!!! SO no surgery is planned at this time! HURRAH!!!!!!!! I am SO HAPPY!!

I recommend them to anyone!

Debbi

 

[Ross]

Not to invade your personal bubble or happiness, but aneurysms grow and shrink depending on what your body feels like doing at that particular time. You might well have been caught with it at 5 and then CC caught you at 4.5, not unusual at all. That being said, sounds like good news. Guess I don't get to meet you for a while yet huh?

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Glad you got a second opinion from The Cleveland Clinic!

Are your aneurism dimensions based on standard Echocardiograms or TEE's (TransEsophageal Echocardiograms)?

One thing you need to understand is that standard Echocardiograms are NOT very precise and the measurements are HIGHLY dependent on Operator Skill and Accuracy. In other words, there can be a significant variation from echo to echo, especially with different equipment and operators.

In any case, frequent monitoring is a GOOD PLAN given your situation. Most cardiolgists don't seem to have much personal experience with Radiation Damaged Hearts. Of the 1200 registered members of VR.com, I've only found 12 (1%) who reported radiation damage as a contributing factor. The last surgeon I interviewed (at a Major Teaching Hospital) was the FIRST and ONLY Doctor who ever explained what to expect from the radiation damage to my heart and how it would affect my surgical recovery.

'AL Capshaw'