New member. MVP in NYC. Consulting for an operation. Medicare. Questions!

[kars]

Male, 60, congenital MVP, only a problem since contacting bacterial infection in Mexico one year ago, severe mitral regurgitation, enlargement, familial thrombocytopenia, fatigued, otherwise good health.
Lost previous health insurance and am doing this on Medicare; and am already tied into Beth Israel, but this is not fixed.
My new cardiologist (Ossama Samuel/Beth Israel) is recommending go-ahead this month for repair/replacement.
I have a consultation set up w/ Robert Tranbaugh/Beth Israel this week. (checks out well online)
Thank you all for the advice I've been reading here; and have bookmarked alot more homework for myself.
Right now, I feel woefully ignorant w/ piecemeal data....but I am pursuing these areas.....

1. Robotic mitral valve repair; appropriate? An initial search shows a no. of hospitals here that use the procedure, but not Beth Israel.
2. I would like to hear of recommendations (or otherwise) for doctors in the NYC area.
3. Someone here mentioned finding a cardiac nurse to get an off-the-record, fuller, wider idea of the procedure. Does anyone know a nurse here? I'll take her/him to lunch.
4. Medicare: does it relegate me to 2nd class care? Can i use it out-of-state?
any ideas, warnings, guides for starting this whole process will be welcome!

 

[Greg a]

A heart felt WELCOME to our OHS family of brothers and sisters in OHS glad you found us and the information that you are seeking I am sure will follow ...There is a wealth of knowledge here for the future .....


Bob/tobagotwo has up dated a list of acronyms and short forms http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=8494&d=1276042314

what to ask pre surgery http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...68-Pre-surgery-consultation-list-of-questions

what to take with you to the hospital http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?13283-what-to-take-to-the-hospital-a-checklist

Preparing the house for post surgical patients http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...Getting-Comfortable-Around-the-House&p=218802

These are from various forum stickies and there is plenty more to read as well


And Lynw recently added this PDF on what to expect post op
http://www.sts.org/documents/pdf/whattoexpect.pdf

 

[johnp]

I can help with the 1st question.

Besides the hosp offering this robotic procedure, you have to be a candidate. They would probably have to so a CT scan or you entire upper body to see how they would run the heart-lung stuff. Your insurance might even lean this way since your hosp stay would likely be much shorter, as well as your recovery. But if they are more comfortable with doing open chest, so be it. You want a team who has done a lot of that type of procedure.

 

[Bear72]

I may be able to answer the first two.....

1) Like stated before, you have to be a candidate, but it depends on a couple factors. In the NYC area, there are only a few surgeons that use the DaVinci, one being Argenziano at Columbia.

2) In regards to other surgeons, I hear Dr. Adams at Mt. Sinai has an excellent isolated mitral repair practice.

Good luck!