Valve Doc w/ a valve job?

[Karlynn]

A post by Ross sparked this thread.

Does anyone have, or know of, a cardiologist or a cardiothoracic surgeon who has had a valve replacement?

If you do, what do they have to say about the experience.

 

[Ross]

If we don't find one, I'll know why. There most likely on Coumadin and it's too dangerous for them to be Doctors anymore.

 

[Harrybaby666]

I was watching Discovery Health Channel

I was watching Discovery Health Channel

A post by Ross sparked this thread.

Does anyone have, or know of, a cardiologist or a cardiothoracic surgeon who has had a valve replacement?

If you do, what do they have to say about the experience.

Hey Karlynn,

One night a while back, I was watching a medical show on Discovery Health Channel, and the topic was of a Cardiologist who had to have his Mitral Valve replaced, and he continued to practice medicine after he recovered, although it was an especially rough recovery for him as he had complications...I wish I could remember the exact show, but If I remember correctly, I think his last name was Silverstein, or something along this line. Harrybaby

 

[catwoman]

Karlynn:

I was at a store in November 2003 in the St. Louis area. An employee there said her dad is a cardiologist and needs AVR, but was refusing to have surgery. Didn't ask why.

 

[Phyllis]

Dick's surgeon, Dr. Lawrence Cohn, had an aortic bovine valve replacement 4 or 5 years before he operated on Dick. He went to Cleveland Clinic to have the operation. He didn't discuss it with Dick, but the nurse in the post cath room told Dick that they said he was a "terrible patient"- kept trying to pull the breathing tube out!

 

[Ross]

He didn't discuss it with Dick, but the nurse in the post cath room told Dick that they said he was a "terrible patient"- kept trying to pull the breathing tube out!

Gee now I wonder why. Wonder if they tied him down too?

 

[CCRN]

Kinky

Kinky

Gee now I wonder why. Wonder if they tied him down too?

Sure we do. We have a whole bag of extra special stuff to use when doctors are admitted. We call it the "S&M" bag.

 

[nia]

My ex-PCP had an endocarditis that led to his valve replacement about 10 or so years ago. He thought my endocarditis was the flu, and now I have a tissue valve. Though my endocarditis was so acute that I?d have had to have MVR anyway, I was pretty amazed when I learned that he had his valve replaced, and for the same reason?

Anyway, I am actually seriously contemplating becoming a doctor, hopefully in adult congenital heart diseases field, but my GPA and diagnostic MCAT scores tell me I better start looking into different fields (I wish I could blame my general dullness to the pumphead thing?sadly, I?ve been a ?pumphead? before the surgery too). I guess desire alone is not enough.

Seriously though, I can?t help but wonder, would it be safe to go through med school (students practice drawing blood on one another, right? Will I be exposing myself to much greater chance of contracting endocarditis again?) and then work in a hospital where there are greater chances of infections in general? My parents are firmly against the idea of me considering medicine for that reason (and also they don?t think my heart can handle the stress), and I hate to give up on it for health reasons. If I cannot become a doctor, then I want the reason to be solely that I didn?t have what it takes academically. But perhaps I really should seriously consider possible risks it might have on my health? How can I handle other people?s health when I have doubts about my own?

I?m sorry I think I?m just confused and babbling? Have a good afternoon, everyone.

 

[Phyllis]

Follow your Dream. Nia! Your ex PCP continued to work as a doctor and Dr. Cohn had the valve surgery in his 60's and is still at it today. Think how much compassion your experience as a patient would bring to the field of those with congenital heart diseases!

 

[T-Money]

One of the residents where I had surgery had a valve replacement. In fact, I believe the person had more than 1. They seemed to function fine and looked to be well on the way to a promising career in cardio thoracic surgery.

 

[Ross]

One of the residents where I had surgery had a valve replacement. In fact, I believe the person had more than 1. They seemed to function fine and looked to be well on the way to a promising career in cardio thoracic surgery.

Wish you could tell us that you talked to him/her and could've had them tell you what they think about the surgery and what they'd recommend to their own family.