everyone here is right!

[7tonemonte]

Just wanted to check in and say that everyone here is truly an asset to me in this nightmare of the doctor game Im in right now. Last I posted, a surgeon told me to repair my Bicuspid Aortic Valve. I posted that and everyone here jumped right in and said no way!! Well, I spoke to my 2nd cardiologist and he said that 100% there is no way he would do that! He said that this surgeon had done it one time for a patient that he sent there and it was a total disaster that needed replaced in a few months. So now I am shooting to make an appt with Dr Bavaria at U of Penn who has come highly recommended from everyone here and my cardio also among others. My father and others were telling me not to trust this site and go ahead and get it repaired. Saying that there are just "horror stories" here. Im here to say Thank you from the bottom of my leaking heart! You guys are walking me through this screwy process that I am just beginning to understand.
Tony

 

[Phyllis]

Another opinion is always a good thing- sending you our best wishes!

 

[aussigal]

Good to hear it Tony...
I know it is hard for others to understand how you could trust people from a website because we all know there are some dodgy ones around.
...but it doesnt take long to work out we are genuine and have all been thru this or are going thru it...
its great to be part of this big extended family.

 

[Karlynn]

Your parents may be of the generation when doctors were just not questioned, but followed blindly assuming they knew what they were talking about.

Tell them that this site isn't full of horror stories (although we do have a few), but of success stories because we question everything we are told and check and recheck to make sure it's right.

 

[rbacher]

This site was very helpful to me in selecting the surgeon who did my surgery. I am 3 weeks out and doing as good as can be expected. We are almost neighbors -- I see you are in Coatesville -- I am in Lancaster. I also went to Univ Penn but ultimately chose Univ of Maryland (based on info I got from this forum; also I had mitral repair, not BAV like you). Also unlike your situation, I knew for sure that I had to have the surgery. I went for many years with a leaky valve, but the doctors said surgery was not necessary. Later (recently) they said the time had come (and I had the surgery 07/17). I hope you can get a straight answer that you do or do not need surgery at this time