Need minimal invasive surgeon

[alex1307]

Dear All,

I asked about your surgeon recommendations recently. It looks like there are many excellent surgeons all around US, who can fix my MV in a traditional way (cutting chest bone). Also I've read about "mimimal invasive surgery", so I'd like to know, in which hospitals they can repair MV using various types of this technique.

I already know one hospital and surgeon - it's NYU Medical Center, Dr. Colvin (thanks to Richie Rich). But it's unreachable for me, not physically, cause I can walk there from my work, but because of insurance problems.

Thanks in advance,
Alex

 

[richie rich]

ALEX

NOT TO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE MINIMAL INVASIVE SURGERY ON THIS SITE. I KNOW THAT ME, LARRY ( SHOWMASTER), AND PATRICK HAVE ALL HAD IT DONE AT NYU. LARRY DIDN'T USE COLVIN . HE USED SOMEONE ELSE AT NYU. DO A SEARCH AND LOOK FOR HIS POST. I BELIEVE IT IS UNDER " I'M BACK" WHICH WAS MY POST UNDER POST SURGERY.

I BELIVE THEY DO THE MINIMAL INVASIVE AT NYU, USC IN CALIFORNIA, A HOSPITAL IN BOSTON ( WOMAN'S SOMETHING ) AND CLEVELAND. YOUR INSURANCE WILL PROBABLY NOT PAY FOR YOUR TRAVEL EXPENSES. I AM ASSUMING THAT YOU HAVE A HMO. MAYBE YOU CAN REQUEST THAT THEY ALLOW YOU DO GO OUT OF THE NETWORK TO GO TO SEE COLVIN OR ANOTHER SURGEON AT NYU. YOU MAY HAVE TO PAY THE DIFFERENCE. TALK TO COLVIN OFFICE AGAIN. I HAVE CIGNA PPO AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD ONLY PAY $11,000 TO COLVIN. THE OFFICE TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD ACCEPT THAT AS PAYMENT IN FULL. HE CHARGES APPROX. $13,000. IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY THEY TOLD ME AS LONG AS HE GETS OVER $ 10,000 OR $ 11,000 THEN THAT WOULD BE FINE. YOU WILL LEARN THAT MOST SURGEONS DO NOT BELONG TO ANY PLANS. ANOTHER THING IS MINIMAL INVASIVE IS REALITIVELY NEW ( 5 YEARS) SO WHEN YOU LOOK FOR SOMEONE YOU SHOULD PICK SOMEONE WHO HAS DONE ALOT OF THESE PROCEDURES. TRY NOT TO BE A GUENIA PIG FOR SOME SURGEONS WHO IS TRYING TO LEARN THE PROCEDURE.

GOOD LUCK
RICH

 

[richie rich]

SORRY ALEX THE THREAD IS " I'M BACK OINK OINK "

 

[alicia]

Alex, Sorry to hear you need surgery. My cardiac surgeon at Duke in Durham,NC is a minmally invasive specialist in the country and he was intending on doing mine that way but was unable to beacuse of scar tissue from my first heart surgery. He makes a 4 inch incision on the right side of your chest and uses long probes in the ports. He is the greatest surgeon (my opinion) His name is Dr Donald Glower at Duke University Medical Center. You can look up Dukes website and pull his curriculm vitae off their website. 4 patients on VR have used him adn absolutely love him. Good luck to you Alex and keep us updated as to your decision. God bless you at this difficult time.

 

[Don]

Minimal Invasive AVR Surgery

Minimal Invasive AVR Surgery

Hi Alex,
I had my Minimal Invasive surgery for an Aortic Valve Replacement performed at Cleveland Clinic Foundation April 12, 2002, by Dr. Delos Cosgrove. Although I never got to meet my surgeon and was certainly not pampered, I was and am a satisfied customer. The incision measures exactly 3 inches and has healed well.
A 82-year old friend of mine who recently had an AVR in El Paso told me that when he was checking out heart surgeons in southern New Mexico he was told that "Minimal Invasive surgery was a sham since they cut you just as much on the inside." Interesting perspective. I remain a fan of the Mimimal Invasive approach.
I believe that a Dr. Sharo Rasinni (spelling?) of Cedar-Sinai of LA also performs the MI valve surgery. Try csmc.edu/heartcenter/
Best wishes,
Don
AVR; MI; 4/02; CCF; Cosgrove; Bovine Tissue

 

[DuchessBear]

My minimally invasive MVR was done by Dr. Robert Albus at INOVA Fairfax Hospital (Fairfax, Virginia, near Washignton DC). I was very pleased with my treatment -- small incision, quick recovery, minimal pain, etc. Dr. Albus and/or the other docs mentioned here should be able to refer you to experienced minimally invasive surgeons in the NY area.

For more info, try these sites: inova.org, ismics.org (International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery), and heartport.com (Heartport makes the special instruments the surgeon used).

 

[Lucidus]

Surgeon

Surgeon

Well,
Dr. Vib Kshetry does this at Abbot Northwestern in Minneapolis. He was my surgeon but he did not do it in a minimally invasive manner.

I think it's important to remember that is the quality of work that's most important. In my case I had a repair job and he felt that having more access would allow him to be able to repair my valve better, so who was I to complain?

I think valve replacements are much more common to do as minimally invasive because the surgeron knows for sure what he is going to do before he goes in there.

 

[alex1307]

Lucidus

Lucidus

Lucidus,

I agree with you. Let them cut my bones, but let them see clearly what they are doing to my heart! It looks like I won't look for a minimally invasive MV repair....

Best wishes,
Alex