Hi new to the forum, just wanted to share my story

[amasokid]

Hi my name is Lindsey, I am 25 almost 26 female. I live in new jersey, i have a bi cuspid valve that i was diagnosed with as a baby. I had a coarctation that was fixed as a 2 year old as well. I recently was told by my cardiologist that i have severe aortic stenosis. and that i need to go see a surgeon to possibly have my valve replaced. So i took myself and my fiance to a Dr. Saunders at Beth Israel in Newark NJ. He looked at all the information etc and told me yes i need to have the procedure done. So i was scheduled for June 7th 2012. i went to see him for the consult maybe May 27? so it was a quick turn around they must of thought something was wrong. Sorry if im all over the place im having a hard time right now. I was told it was so severe because i did a stress test, and couldn't last more then 5 minutes on the treadmill before i almost blacked out. So June 7th roles around I go into the hospital i get admitted my family and fiance are there. 730 AM i get wheeled into the procedure, 845 AM Dr. Saunders is out talking to my fiance saying he did a TEE, and is embarrassed that he didn't order it or a heart cath before the surgery. Saying that he thinks i don't need the surgery and has cancelled it. I am told by doctors when i wake up what had happened and im beyond confused and very upset. I'm told my aortic valve is 1.1 cm and does not need to be replaced yet. But with all the symptoms i do not understand this. We are going to another surgeon July 11th. I just want to be fixed. I am a pre school teacher and this makes me so i cannot work. And it is making my life a living hell. My family fiance and I all feel that they did something wrong while at Beth Israel, and that is why the surgery was not done. Please help me out with some information or something. Please Thank you.

 

[Duffey]

That must have been terrible to steel yourself for the surgery and then wake up to find out they decided you didn't need it. I'm so sorry you had to go through it.
However, just from what you have written, it seems logical to me that after doing the TEE, they realized they had been mistaken about your immediate need for surgery. There's certain criteria that must be met for insurance to pay for the surgery. Perhaps your valve size was still large enough that you wouldn't have qualified?

I hope the surgeon you meet with on the 11th will be able to explain what's happened. Please let us know what you find out.

 

[Superbob]

Bless your heart, that is a tough thing to go through. It may be they made an honest mistake and you don't need the surgery quite yet. But I definitely would seek other qualified opinions from heart specialists, either to confirm the diagnosis or to find out if you need the surgery right away. Hang in there, and let us know how you're doing. And welcome to our funny farm.

 

[Mentu]

It is hard enough preparing one's self for surgery but to wake and hear the surgeon say "Oh, my mistake!" is an awful thing to happen. As is routine for him, my own cardiologist scheduled a heart cath while I waited to speak with my surgeon. In your shoes, I would definately want to talk to a different surgeon without connections to the first and have him review all the existing records including those of the aborted surgery. In the mean time, try not to speculate. Always, our imaginations can make things seem worse than they are.

Larry

 

[AgilityDog]

You poor dear!

You deserve answers, and a second opinion. Passing out after 5 minutes on the treadmill???? That's terrible.