Here is a copy of a post I made in the Valve Replacement Forum pertaining to the Selection of a Surgeon who has experience implanting the Valve you are interested in obtaining.
'AL Capshaw'
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hot Rod Harry
What happened to the "repair"? When I had it done, the surgeon told me that the valve was "worse" off than they initially thought, and then that the valve was leaking, and would progressively get worse, that it should last 2 - 3 years. Well, it will be exactly 3 years in June. Dont ask me why the surgeon wasn't prepared for the worse, and have a mechanical available as a second choice.
SNIP
I haven't decided which I will get, and will likely reserve making that decision until after I have consulted with the surgeon.
END QUOTE
Response from 'Al Capshaw'
There is a problem with the unstated assumption in your last paragraph.
Few Surgeons are intimately familiar with and comfortable with ALL of the Valve Options. MANY Surgeons (and Hospitals) only offer one or two mechanical Valves and one or two Tissue Valves. I know some who only offered ONE of each. It has been reported by several that some hospitals (including Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic) put their Valve Business up for competitive bid. You can find those discussions through the Search feature.
I will start with the obvious. If a Surgeon has never performed a Ross Procedure (or at least not since his residency), he is unlikely to offer that option to his patients.
Similarly, several of our members have reported that after asking their surgeons about the On-X Valve, the surgeon dismissed it as "too new" or "too untried", even after 70,000 On-X Valves have been implanted in 64 countries since it's introduction to the world market in 1996 and the USA in 2001.
IF a patient is interested in the latest technology inherent in the On-X Valve (or one of the newer tissue valves) it would seem to make sense that they contact a Surgeon who has experience using that valve. On-X can provide the names of surgeons who have experience implanting their valves. SOME of our members selected surgeons who had not yet used On-X and convinced them that they were willing to be their first (including one at CC). EDIT - On-X has a 'Training Video'on CD which they provide to Surgeons and usually send a Representative to meet with any surgeon who wishes to begin using their valves to discuss the valve and their recommended procedures for sizing and sewing.
Since the St. Jude (Master's Series) Valves have been around for 30 years, there is less of a problem finding surgeons with experience using that valve.
Bottom Line: For patients that have an interest in a specific valve (tissue or mechanical) that incorporates more recent technology, they may need to then find a Surgeon who is comfortable using that valve if they hope to receive the valve of their choice.
The surgeon with the most experience using On-X at CC is Dr. Pettersson who is ranked as one of the Best of the Best.
'AL Capshaw'
