Anyone have experience with Shands at UF?

[67walkon]

I emailed my echo report to a surgeon at Shands named Tom Beaver. He and I spoke a year or more ago about a minimally invasive procedure for afib. According to the Shands web site, he does minimally invasive valve replacements/repairs, and some other stuff too. He is the head of their minimally invasive heart surgery unit or something.

He called me immediately and suggested a CT at Shands and a consult with them. My echo shows my AV at 1cm, but I don't yet have symptoms. Although when I start getting paranoid, I'm not sure. I can exercise pretty hard without any symptoms, but Dr. Beaver says if I really at 1cm that there is probably some form of compensation going on, given my activity level.

Has anyone had any experience with the good people at Shands? They are certainly one place I plan to consult with before figuring out who to do my surgery.

Thanks, John

 

[lynn]

Me! Me! Me!



Hi John....I had my AVR done at AGH, which is the smaller sister hospital of Shands (11/29) with Dr. Tomas Martin, whom I loved!!!! Dr. Beaver would have been my 2nd choice and probably only because he went to the University of Wisconsin Not really.....I went with Martin because my husband's friend used him for his AVR and highly recommended him. I didn't know anything about Beaver but would have met with him had Martin not taken me on.

I will tell you that the whole team (appts, PA, etc.) was great. I chose to have it done at AGH as it is not a teaching hospital, therefore you won't have all kinds of people watching, touching you, etc. And, they told me that at AGH you could get a private room (paying extra) but at least you aren't in some sort of ward. It's only a couple miles from Shands and the nurses were awesome, alot of them came from Shands!

Dr. Martin was not big on minimally invasive, I'm sure I couldn't have had it anyway because of my history with breast cancer. We really had faith in him and the husband and he hit it off big time, so that was a huge plus! I'm sorry I didn't get to meet Beaver, I did however meet Staples....no bedside manner at all, we didn't hit it off well, although I've heard he is very good at what he does!

My old Pastor used to have a church in Tequesta (Lutheran)....that's quite a drive for you Let me know if I can help further!!

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Do a VR.com SEARCH for "Shands".

I KNOW that some of our members have had their surgeries there and spoke HIGHLY of it.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[hensylee]

we have had two members that I recall right off hand who had theirs there. One of them was an employee at Shands. Both gave excellent results.

Shands is a teaching hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville. It is very, very high standard and when you have serious surgery, a teaching hospital is probably the best place to be. I have lived in Florida most of my life and never heard anything bad about it, but lots of good. Folks from all over go there. You will be in very good hands.

 

[67walkon]

Thanks, all.

Lynn, who was your "old pastor"? There is only one Lutheran church in Tequesta and we've been going there for over 20 years.

I am in the process of scheduling a CT and a consult at Shands, so I'll keep everyone posted.

Also, I'm trying to find out what other places in Florida do good AVR and maze procedures, but so far Shands is my first choice.

John

 

[lynn]

John,

Rev. Ken Saurman...would have been an ELCA church, can't remember the name and he's moved on up the road!

If you can't get in with Beaver, be sure to see Dr. Martin! Although, again I'm not sure if he'll do minimally invasive

 

[lynn]

Oops....got your PM John! And, sent you one back!

Also, before I forget (I do that alot), if you go with Shands (I'm not sure other hospitals do this or not), try to get your surgery done on Monday or Tuesday. That way you have your surgeon checking on you the whole time you are there. They do a *changing of the guards* on Mondays and you'll see someone else.

My surgery was on Tuesday and Dr. Martin checked on me through Sunday and because I was in there 10 days then on Monday Dr. Staples was my surgeon. So, what I'm saying is...don't have it done on a Friday