Anyone been to Duke in North Carolina

[Tlock60]

Hi,
My husband is getting ready to have his aortic valve replaced the 2nd of april. He will be having it done at Duke hospital in North Carolina. Anyone had theirs done there? So far what we have seen it looks great. I have talk to a few other people and they all say it's the best. But I would like to hear from someone that has has it done there.

Thanks,
Terry

 

[hensylee]

yes, we do have some Duke alumni and they will be along soon. Weekends are sorta slow til Sunday night comes and then they all settle down to catch up. You will hear before tomorrow, I am sure. All reports on Duke have been excellent ones.

 

[bvdr]

Hi Terry,

There are several of us who have had valve replacements at Duke and the over-all opinion of the facility is very very high.
I think the only two surgeons we have experience with are Dr. Glower and Dr. Jaggers. It is one of the very best cardiac centers in the United States.

I had Dr.Glower and was very pleased with him. Who is your surgeon?

We have one member who is having his surgery there this week.

I was admitted the day before the surgery for IV heparin and I had all my pre-op stuff done at that time. The rooms are very small but have large windows and the staff is very attentive. The nurses are quick to bring pain medication and there are doctors in and out all the time.

I wasn't real happy with a male nurse I had in ICU but I know I gave them a hard time (without being aware of any of it) before I was fully awake. He had a bit of an attitude. Everyone else was great.

All of my follow-up has been locally but that hasn't posed a problem for me.

I think you have made a good choice.

 

[catwoman]

Terry:
A woman I know in the Chapel Hill area had MVR surgery in late January. Seems to be doing well.

 

[Bryan B]

Terry,

I am having my surgery at Duke on Wednesday. Dr. Jaggers is doing the surgery. I'm having the Ross Procedure, and he is supposed to be one of the best in the business doing that procedure. I'm also having a congenital defect repaired (VSD), and Dr. Jaggers specializes in congenital defect surgeries for pediatrics and adults. I'll share my experiences with you when I get back home, but Duke is rated as the 4th best heart hospital in the country...and I have a lot of confidence in Dr. Jaggers and the staff at Duke.

 

[Bob Bates]

Terry;

Let me add my recommendation for Duke. I had AVR surgery (CE perimont pericardial bovine valve) there on Nov. 3, 2003, done by Dr. Donald Glower. I was very impressed by Dr. Glower, and the staff at Duke.

It's a large teaching hospital, so I admit I half expected the treatment to be a little impersonal, but that was not the case. I would be happy to give you any specifics that I may be able to help you with. Good luck.

Bob

 

[Tlock60]

This is so nice to hear...

This is so nice to hear...

Hi,

Boy am I glad to hear all the good news about Duke. His Doctor is Dr. Glower and so far I really like him. He looks like Dr. Green on ER....Ha Ha. I plan on staying the whole time he is there. We live in Galax Virginia and it is about a 2 hour drive for us. And I just can't leave him I would just worry the the whole time if I had to come home. Besides for those who are wives we all know what big baby's men become when they are sick....LOL. we have been married 20 years and well I just love him to death. He's a good man. We have to be there april 1 and they are going to do all his pre-surgery that day and stay the night and do the surgery the next day. I'm glad it is finally getting done because his symptoms are are getting more noticable. He's been having more chest pain here lately. He just wants to get the sugery over and get back to doing the things he loves. He builds houses for a living and well it's kind of rough when your energy level goes way down and he just can't get anything done without hurting. They say he should be able to do anything after the surgey and live a normal life. That is what we are hoping for. But anyway I'm rambling on. Thanks again everyone and if anyone has some good advice for us please feel free to let us know.

Terry

 

[bvdr]

Terry,

Please keep us informed about how things are going with your hubby. He might even be interested in spending some time here with us too. Either way, I hope everything goes well for your family. Dr. Glower is a very good doctor.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Hello Terry,

It sounds like your husband will be in Very Good Hands.

Has he decided on what kind of valve he wants to have?

If not, look over the Valve Selection Forum for a pretty complete discussion of the options and trade-offs. It is a good idea to have a 'second choice' and possibly even a third, just in case the first choice(s) are not viable options once the surgeon 'gets in there'.

Mechanical Valves 'should last forever' but require anti-coagulation (Coumadin) therapy for the rest of his life. Bleeding is more difficult to stop and / or takes more time to stop in the event of serious cuts or injuries.

Tissue Valves generally do NOT require anti-coagulation (Coumadion) therapy but tend to wear out in 10 to 20 years, requiring a second surgery later in life. (I wanted a Bovine Pericardial Tissue Valve but unfortunately this was not a viable opton once my surgeon saw inside.)

If your husband is actively involved in doing the construction, i.e. using power tools, saws, etc., he may be more inclined to go with a tissue valve. It's all a very personal choice. Most people end up choosing whichever set of negative aspects they feel most comfortable with.

Best wishes,

'AL'

 

[meanrenee]

Terry,
My husband just had his 2nd valve surgery at Duke this past week on March 11. We live in Raleigh and are so very lucky to have such a facility in our "back yard" . Dr Jaggers was Franks surgeon . It is a top notch facility and we were very happy with the whole process. The level of care was great and they walk you through the whole process the day before during the pre op visit. It was very helpful to me , the very nervous spouse, to know how everything would go down.We had total confidence in Duke and his surgeon. You may want to make a hotel reservation for the day of surgery as there is really no where to stay in the hospital while he is in the ICU after surgery. There is one across the street that you can walk to. I stayed there and it was nice to have some where to go at the end of a LONG day!!You can call the ICU as often as you like to check on him . When he moves to a step down room you are able to stay in his room. Hope this helps . Feel free to e mail me if you want any other info. Good Luck and know that it will all be fine!