U of M vs Clevland Clinic

[IgorClearwater]

See Lars Svenson at Cleveland.

he was my surgeon.

 

[Unicusp]

Lars Svensson - he was my surgeon.

Me Too....twice! Great surgeon.

 

[KatherineA]

If you can see Lars Svensson or Dr. Johnson (surgeon) at Cleveland. Hands down the best. I was out of the hospital on day 4 with an aortic valve repair included with the valve

I’m a year out of surgery (January 7, 2020) plus a lfew weeks, and having my yearly at Cleveland via virtual. I’m doing this with the assistance of a local cardiologist who arranged an echo and to get the images to Cleveland for my Cleveland follow up on Monday (April 5)

seeing the new valve work on the echo the other day was simply amazing compared to what I saw pre surgery. yikes!
I’m pretty much back to all normal activities. Heavy gardening and daily yoga included, just not for as many hours a day

I’m 70 soon to be 71 in May.

 

[BillDaThrill]

If you can see Lars Svensson or Dr. Johnson (surgeon) at Cleveland. Hands down the best. I was out of the hospital on day 4 with an aortic valve repair included with the valve

I’m a year out of surgery (January 7, 2020) plus a lfew weeks, and having my yearly at Cleveland via virtual. I’m doing this with the assistance of a local cardiologist who arranged an echo and to get the images to Cleveland for my Cleveland follow up on Monday (April 5)

seeing the new valve work on the echo the other day was simply amazing compared to what I saw pre surgery. yikes!
I’m pretty much back to all normal activities. Heavy gardening and daily yoga included, just not for as many hours a day

I’m 70 soon to be 71 in May.

Thanks Katherine for the report. Going to Dr. Svensson for my aortic valve/aneurysm replacement on June 10th.

 

[bizinsider]

He’s fantastic. Class of March 2020.

 

[MarkZ]

I don’t have a lot to add except I can share with you some of my own decisions leading up to my surgery next month. I’ve been trying to decide between CC and UPenn. UPenn had an aorta division with a very well regarded surgeon who specializes in it. His published mortality rate for AVR replacement in 2016 (last published year) was 0.5% in 199 surgeries. His fellow told me that he’s been with him all year this year and there have been zero deaths and zero strokes over the year in about 100 surgeries. I’m sure I would have been in good hands. But I chose CC not due to the surgeon but due to the team. I had no reason to question UPenn’s care team, but there’s something to be said for a culture of excellence, and that’s what I understand CC as a cardiothoracic division to be. I was 50/50 split and will be placing my bet on the CC care team as a whole. Not sure if I made the right decision, but it’s the one I made regardless!

 

[cldlhd]

I've never been to Cleveland clinic so I can't comment personally but obviously it's a great place but I'll throw my hat in the ring for University of Pennsylvania. It was easier for me I admit because I'm a local boy, bucks county just north of Philly, but I had Dr Bavaria for my BAV repair and aorta replacement and everything went very well. I had surgery 6 years ago

 

[cldlhd]

I don’t have a lot to add except I can share with you some of my own decisions leading up to my surgery next month. I’ve been trying to decide between CC and UPenn. UPenn had an aorta division with a very well regarded surgeon who specializes in it. His published mortality rate for AVR replacement in 2016 (last published year) was 0.5% in 199 surgeries. His fellow told me that he’s been with him all year this year and there have been zero deaths and zero strokes over the year in about 100 surgeries. I’m sure I would have been in good hands. But I chose CC not due to the surgeon but due to the team. I had no reason to question UPenn’s care team, but there’s something to be said for a culture of excellence, and that’s what I understand CC as a cardiothoracic division to be. I was 50/50 split and will be placing my bet on the CC care team as a whole. Not sure if I made the right decision, but it’s the one I made regardless!

Oh I'm sorry I haven't been on here in a while I thought you had already made your decision I posted on your thread recommending Dr Bavaria. I thought about the Cleveland clinic as well but that would require travel and I'm right outside of Philly and was already part of Penn medicine as they were my primary care so the tracks were greased as they say. I actually think my surgery was part of his 2016 publication. He did my surgery in February of 2015 and he said it went so well he included my case in a few presentations he did I think one of them was called the North American valve repair symposium or whatever. It's been a couple of years so I don't remember. I asked him if I got any residuals and he chuckled and said if there were any they went to him.......

 

[MarkZ]

My wife is actually from Bristol, so we have local roots in the Philly area too! It was a definite consideration for me and I met with Dr. Bavaria who is clearly one of the leaders in this area. One word of warning though -- it's about a 3-4 hour wait in the waiting room for him, and his staff said that's typical. The place was jam packed when I visited.

Anyway, just another thumbs up for UPenn for those considering it, even though I didn't end up picking it.

 

[bizinsider]

The reality is there are lots of good surgeons/teams/hospitals around the country. While I'm biased as a CC fan, I've gone back/forth with too many people who have had their surgeries at You Name It and they have done very well. (Chuck C can vouch for that! And Pellicle survived being sliced and diced Down Under - and lived to tell about it ) I think the one thing we can all agree on on is that experience of the team/facility is critical; and for those of us who added to the low mortality rate – complications and setbacks, notwithstanding – the human body's ability to heal is beyond phenomenal. You get a first hand peek with heart repair! I realize this is an enormously huge surgery and there's a reason you "get your affairs in order" before you go in, but the numbers are beyond on your side. Cheers. Herb

 

[cldlhd]

My wife is actually from Bristol, so we have local roots in the Philly area too! It was a definite consideration for me and I met with Dr. Bavaria who is clearly one of the leaders in this area. One word of warning though -- it's about a 3-4 hour wait in the waiting room for him, and his staff said that's typical. The place was jam packed when I visited.

Anyway, just another thumbs up for UPenn for those considering it, even though I didn't end up picking it.

Hey you got lucky I waited almost 6 hours if I remember correctly. Apparently he had an emergency. Bristol is not too far from me, I'm a little further up county in the Levittown/ Fairless hills area.
Did you meet with him in the Perelman center? The building looks more like a museum and if you're a coffee drinker The stuff they sell in the lobby is pretty good.... Yeah you can't go wrong with the Cleveland clinic wish you the best of luck and I'll be checking to see how you make out if you post updates.