Patient registry at valve manufacturers

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I can't resist.
Bina,
We all know where those stairs lead to.....:D:D

Johan,
Have a great weekend. I am sure you will have all of your information in no time.

Now I gotta go-You guys are so funny that I'm giggling myself silly.
John
 
I got my card right away as well. It also had all the info on it, and at my first visit to the Cardio he asked to see it. He read it and told me that my 25mm was a "nice large one". I just figured that like the rest of me.....my heart was a tad "overweight"!!

Mileena
 
Johan, I don't know if it was mentioned but the back of my card also tells me some details about how much MRI strength is safe to use. Also, if there is any change to my address or my cardiologist or his address, my valve manufacturer wants notified right away.

I'm glad you caught this situation!
 
Hi Mileena and Lily

The more feedback I get the more upset, and in a way disappointed, I get with my situation. Here I am being operated on in THE heart hospital in Cape Town, if not the country, by a most respected surgeon and it seems as if my valve was never registered at the manufacturer and on top of that they seem to have lost all the details of my valve. Sort of take the valve out of its box and throw the box away!!

Now you guys mention things like MRI's etc. and the what ifs start in my mind, say I needed an MRI in the mean time??!!

I must not get carried away here because I have not made contact with the surgeon yet, shall do so first thing on Monday. There is nobody else in his office to speak to, but his officious PA.

I shall also make contact with the hospital management but I feel that the starting point must be the surgeon...

I have seen my cardiologist 3 times since the operation and such a card and having the valve registered never came up!
 
I think you are right in that the surgeon is who you need to talk with.....since my Cardio asked to see the card, I assumed the surgeon was who took care of me getting it.

Sorry you are getting upset over this....try not too. I am sure it will all be worked out in time.

Mileena
 
Johan.....

To this day, my cardio never asked about my having a card or not. My surgical report included exact details of my valve and he certainly has the report and had communication with my surgeon.

Have you looked in your surgical report to see if the info is there?
 
Hi Mileena and Lily

The more feedback I get the more upset, and in a way disappointed, I get with my situation. Here I am being operated on in THE heart hospital in Cape Town, if not the country, by a most respected surgeon and it seems as if my valve was never registered at the manufacturer and on top of that they seem to have lost all the details of my valve. Sort of take the valve out of its box and throw the box away!!

Now you guys mention things like MRI's etc. and the what ifs start in my mind, say I needed an MRI in the mean time??!!

I must not get carried away here because I have not made contact with the surgeon yet, shall do so first thing on Monday. There is nobody else in his office to speak to, but his officious PA.

I shall also make contact with the hospital management but I feel that the starting point must be the surgeon...

I have seen my cardiologist 3 times since the operation and such a card and having the valve registered never came up!

I can imagine how I would feel in the same situation :eek: . Hopefully it is just an easily-remedied error that you have happily caught before anymore time has passed.

I would imagine that, even in the worse case scenario if they "threw the box away," that by process of elimination, and whatever valves the hospital/surgeon's office has "in stock," they will be able to find out your serial number and such.

The back of my plastic, credit card-sized, Medtronic card says: "This device is MRI safe to < 3,0 Tesla," and in five languages no less!

It also has my name and address, the model number, the serial number, the size, the date of implant, an illustration of the valve, and the number for me to contact them with any changes.

If you're interested, you can search "Tesla" on this site because I remember some threads about this very information from a few years ago.
 
Johan,
I am sending positive vibes that all gets sorted out to your liking on Monday.
The back of my card states: For MRI information contact us at:
www.edwardsmri.com (in case you want to check out the website for yourself).

Please try and tuck that worry away and have a good weekend!
 
put it on your doctors data base

put it on your doctors data base

.
the hospital gave me the valve manufacturers card with serial number etc, a small information booklet from on-x and also the box it came in.

knowing i would sooner or later loose all of this, i got our gp to record the serial and model numbers in his files
 
Johan
I received a temporary card when I was discharged from hospital.
This was a printed form that appeared like it was packaged with the valve and all the valve details make/model serial number on it. Then my details, the surgeon and the date of surgery were hand written in the appropriate fields.
This was all I received.
After 12 months I contacted Medtronics and they sent me a more permanent plastic credit card style ID card.
 
I had a look at the surgical report and this is what the surgeon wrote about the new valve; "On bypass the aortic valve was removed piecemeal and replaced using a size 21mm Edwards Perimount Magna prosthetic valve. It was seated with 14X2/0 Ticron sutures" That is it!

Thank you everybody for your concern and the valuable information. I have already e-mailed Edwards Lifesciences all the info I have such as surgeon, hospital, date, patient etc and asked them to trace it back. I know I was the only valve recipient on that day in this hospital.

Westie & OldManEmu, I am relieved to note that you were similarly treated as our friends in North America. I was concerned that the latest in patient care has not reached some of the far flung corners of the Empire yet. :)

Monday is the day
 
Yep. Medtronic sent me a laminated wallet card with all the serial numbers,model numbers, date of surgery, size and type of device, my address, and my cardiologist and his phone number. Can call with any address and cardio changes, and they will send you a new one. Just realized I need to get another update (once I am sure I am satisfied with my new cardio). It gives something of a feeling of security to be carrying this around. All best to you in getting that information in hand.
 
This thread got me thinking that I never even had talked to the surgeon or actually even thought about an information card. Then you can guess how shocked I was to get my card from Edwards in the mail today. Had surgery on December 1st so it took less than 3 weeks to arrive. It has all the basic information on the front and a number on the back to contact for MRI info.

Kevin
 
Hi Johan,

I understand the disappointment you feel. I have felt similarly "abandoned" just by the fact I cannot get my cardiologist to return my phone calls. (I've never called her before so I'm not a high maintenance patient.)

I'm sure you'll get them straightened out on Monday and certainly Edwards will get a card out for you. Perhaps the surgeon's staff somehow let the situation fall through the cracks, or ordered a card for you and it got lost along the way. I think we all hold doctors, and perhaps surgeons in particular, to a higher standard and expect them to take better care with every detail.

Try to enjoy what's left of the weekend and good luck on Monday. :)

Michele
 
Thanks again everybody!!

Early this morning, Sunday, I dashed off an e-mail to the surgeon so as to have it waiting for him on his desk first thing on Monday (but half expecting to only hear from him in the new year, everybody is on holiday). What a surprise when he immediately and most charmingly, replied, promising to look into the matter and to get me my card!

He did an excellent job on my AVR and my recovery has been smooth and unremarkable, needless to say that he has NOW risen a number of notches in my estimation.

I shall let everybody know when I get my card. I am now possitive, notice I did not say "if and when I get my card".

A wonderful and happy festive season to you all....
 
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