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Prudy LaBelle wrote:
> We are becoming very concerned about the wait to get in for my
> husband’s
> aortic valve replacement.  We were told this is a fairly urgent thing
> to
> have done.  They mentioned two or three weeks tops.  They told us they

> would call last week, they didn’t (we called them finally).  They told

> us they would call today (they didn’t), we finally called them.  They
> had no plans to call us at all.  I understood this was suppose to be
> the
> best cardiac hospital around.  My husband was in the ER again
> yesterday
> with congestive heart failure (again).  Since June his valve has been
> leaking a lot more.  I can’t understand?  Does anyone have any
> suggestions?
> Thank you in advance.
> Prudy

   Prudy:

I don’t know where your husband lives, but with the problems he seems to
be having, I would look at a good hospital which does significant valve
replacements a year and find a surgeon there. The problem with going to
the best sometimes is that that you increase the risk of the operation
by waiting too long. Best advice is to look at other hospitals in your
area. (I had quintuple by-pass 2 weeks ago at Lehigh Valley Medical
Center in PA — I went through the same desire as you to find the best.
In fact, Clevland Clinic gave me the advice to get it done at a good
hospital rather than the best  – The doctor said I would even out odds
of mortality by waiting to get into Cleveland Clinic in mid Sept)

My advice is to find out which hospitals do significant va;ve
replacements and then find surgeon who does a significant number a year.
For valve replacements, mortality rate according to US News and World
Report is ~ 7%. So ask surgeon what his rate is. If above criteria is
met and surgeon is average or better, jump at getting valve fixed.
Waiting just makes it a gamble for your husband and a bigger challenge
for the surgeon.

Having gone through the operation I can tell you it is no picnic for a
couple of days, but it then gets better very quickly. If you live in PA
or surrounding area, I would be gald to give you more recommendations.

Ed

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>We are becoming very concerned about the wait to get in for my
husband’s
>aortic valve replacement.  We were told this is a fairly urgent
thing to
>have done.  They mentioned two or three weeks tops.  They told us
they
>would call last week, they didn’t (we called them finally).  They
told
>us they would call today (they didn’t), we finally called them.
They
>had no plans to call us at all.  I understood this was suppose to
be the
>best cardiac hospital around.  My husband was in the ER again
yesterday
>with congestive heart failure (again).  Since June his valve has
been
>leaking a lot more.  I can’t understand?  Does anyone have any
>suggestions?
>Thank you in advance.
>Prudy

 I had an aortic valve replacement at the Cleveland Clinic in
April, we had chosen a surgeon, and we waited about two months, a
little less, probably. If I had to do it again, I would go closer
to home. Not more than four hrs by car. There have been times when
I would have liked to go and talk with someone, or be seen by one
of the doctors, and because I live about 13 hrs away, I had to be
happy with a telephome call. So unless you live near Cleveland I
think you will be better off going to a Hospital closer to your
home.
If you like anymore informations, you can Email me
kerryb