Ross Procedure

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Butterfly

Would members who had the Ross Procedure please let me know of their experiences.
 
Check out the posts by PapaHappyStar. He is a PHD candidate in nuclear physics and did extensive research before going to New York to have his Ross Procedure.

If that isn't enough information, do a SEARCH on "Ross Procedure" and you should find considerable links to posts on the subject.

'AL Capshaw'
 
My son, Adam had a Ross recently. His care page is still up for a little longer if you would like to read his story. Overall, I think we have our happy ending, and he is now "fixed!!!"
 
My experience has been very positive so far. I had my RP 2 years and 4 months ago and I had a lot of confidence in my surgeon. I think one of the most important things you can do is seek out the very best surgeon possible to do your surgery...and one who isn't afraid to abort the procedure and go to "plan B" if he feels you aren't a perfect candidate (my surgeon's words to my parents after surgery..."he was a perfect candidate for the RP"). It seems that many of the stories I've read about RP's that have gone bad involve surgeons that have gone forward with a RP when the patient was not an ideal candidate. As far as the surgery itself...it does last longer with a longer time on the bypass machine (I was on bypass for nearly 4 hours), and it does have a slightly higher risk of death due to the higher degree of technical difficulty (my surgeon said 0.5-1% higher depending on the patient). My recovery was no longer than other "valvers" here and I had no serious complications. I had my surgery on a Wednesday morning and was discharged on Sunday morning. The only medication I'm on now for my heart is 2 baby aspirin daily (I like to think of it as dessert :D). If you have any more specific questions feel free to PM me.
 
Great!!

Great!!

I had the Ross Procedure when I was 13. Before that I had been restricted from P.E. the whole year of seventh grade, so I was happy to have something done. I went in for surgery Wednesday (June 29th, 2005), left the ICU Thursday morning (after an 11-hour long surgery -- a failed repair attempt was involved), and was leaving the hospital by Saturday. My recovery has been amazing and my only issues have been some small heart-beat issues and blood pressure problems. Those are over with now though. Overall, I think the Ross Procedure is awesome! I'm back to excersizing with no restrictions and am loving it!! My personal surgeon is awesome, I'm not sure how many ross procedures he has done, but he obviously knows how to do them! He was a former surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic -- I know that place is real good. So, all in all, I have had excellent results with my operation! Hope this all helps!! :)

If you'd like my carepage, message me and I'll give it to you!!
 
I agree with RossGurlie. The Ross is awesome. I was an ideal candidate and have had zero complications in 3+ years. If it wasn't for the scar, I would never know that I had surgery. I am fully active and exercising.
At the time of my surgery, I had two little kids and a third on the way. My aortic valve failed and begun shooting clots leading to central retinal artery obstruction and partial blindness in one eye.
I spent three days in the hospital from the ER to the OR undergoing diagnostic ultrasounds. I really didn't have alot of time to research different valve types. My surgeon gave me the options of mechanical, animal or Ross. I knew that animal did not have a great reputation for longevity and I had watched my mother struggle with the longterm effects of coumadin and insulin for her valve replacement (St. Jude valve followed by adult onset diabetes). I didnt want to go through the restrictions of a lifetime sentence to blood thinners and the possibility that I would also develop diabetes (family history). So, I chose the Ross.
The week after surgery was pain due to the sternum, the pain killers and the after effects of anesthesia. After a couple weeks I became comfortable and a little more clear headed (my family still disputes this). I was able to take longer and longer walks and settle back into a normal routine.
Recovery is what you make of it. It is going to hurt. It is going to be your full time job for the weeks after surgery. But you have to try to return to normal as soon as possible. You will need to find the balance between working to get better and rest/sleep. Naps are a great thing, but difficult with a broken sternum. Find what works for you and push through it.
It really is an adventure.
 
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