by "Father" John Feist
July 8, 1998
I am writing this article as a heart valve recipient who thought people would like to know my feelings about my situation: how it came about, what I went through over a period of years, how I felt before the operation, what happened at the Cleveland Clinic, what happened at the New York Medical Center and what has happened since I have been home.
To start with, I receive a physical each year by my doctor, which includes a complete physical exam, including blood test and urinalysis. In 1991, I was advised that since my last exam, I had developed a heart murmur and that I should see a cardiologist and probably get an echocardiogram. At that time, he suggested a doctor in the same building. I went to see the cardiologist and he confirmed that I did have a substantial heart murmur.
I was then given an echocardiogram, an EKG, and other tests. I was told I definitely had a heart murmur and that it should be watched closely. I would be given two echocardiograms per year. I might never need surgery, but then again, no one could tell me definitely.
I was monitored for a number of years, and in 1996, my echocardiogram showed that my valve was getting worse. I did not have shortness of breath. I did not faint. I did not have chest pains. I felt absolutely "normal".
In the Fall of 1997, I was advised that my heart murmur had grown substantially worse and I should think about surgery. The kind of surgery I was told that was being performed in the Denver area was open-heart surgery. This meant cracking the chest, and would involve at least a couple of months recovery time. This did not seem to me to be a great idea, so I decided to contact Dr. Jim Ehrlich of Denver Heart Imagery, and have a heart imaging test and talk to him about whether there were other alternatives.
I had the heart imaging exam and was told I had a minor blockage in one artery, approximately 40%. I was also told that they were performing minimal heart surgery at the NYU Medical Center, John Hopkins, Stanford and the Cleveland Clinic. He suggested Aubrey Galloway, a doctor at New York Medical Center. I sent Dr. Galloway my echocardiogram and other information, and he called me after reviewing the tests. He indicated that I had an aortic valve problem which needed to be repaired, and a second valve that might also need repair.
Through a friend's personal recommendation, I also contacted the Dr. Cosgrove at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Cosgrove had performed this minimal surgery on a friend of his, and her experience was fantastic. I contacted Dr. Cosgrove and sent him all the requested documentation. We decided to arrange an operation around the middle of April. I arranged to go to Cleveland for tests prior to surgery.
Upon arriving in Cleveland, I was advised that Dr. Cosgrove had been ill and my operation would be delayed for two to three days. I had some tests, including a heart catherization. This was an interesting experience, except for the fact that I was put on intravenous solutions at about 9:00 am for a procedure that wasn’t completed until about 4:00 pm. I had not eaten for 12 hours prior to this, so I was famished by the time the procedure was done. I got a free sandwich and juice for my wait.
This procedure is done under a local anesthetic. They inject die into your system and can see if you have any blockages on a monitor. I had a minor blockage in one artery.
A couple of hours later, I was advised that they had decided not to do minimal surgery, but they were going to do the traditional open-heart surgery through the breast bone. They would replace the aortic valve and repair an artery. I requested to see Dr. Cosgrove, and spent three days in my room waiting for a phone call—which never came. I then advised Dr. Cosgrove’s office that I was not willing to have the surgery unless I could see the surgeon and since he was not available, I was going home. I wasted a week and a lot of nervous energy.
From Cleveland, I called Dr. Ehrlich in Denver, and he arranged to have my records and tests sent to Dr. Aubrey Galloway in New York. I received a telephone call from Dr. Galloway a few days later, at which time he told me I needed my Aorta valve replaced. He did not think I needed any of my arteries done. He also said I could have minimal invasive surgery, which we scheduled for May 19, 1998.
I arrived in New York on Monday, May 18, and a couple of hours later I had a blood test, x-ray, urine analysis and met with Dr. Galloway to discuss the type of valve I would be getting. He said a lot of people used the mechanical valve, but that required patients to be on Coumadin for the rest of their lives. This is a blood thinner, and taking it would mean I would have to give up skiing and other activities that were risky. I stated that I didn’t feel that was desireable, and we then decided on another form of valve—a Carpentier-Edwards pericardial valve. The indications were that it would last 10–15 years, and that by then, heart surgery would probably be light years ahead of where we were today.
On May 19, 1998 I arrived at the New York Medical Center at 6:30 A.M. I was prepped for surgery; and once again had an interesting experience with surgery. I was wheeled into the operating room, and helped myself onto the operating table. The anesthesiologist injected something into my vein and that was it—the operation lasted a little over two hours.
When I woke up, I vaguely remember having a small air tube in my nose. Then, I remember nothing until I was fully conscious, with no tubes except in my chest and back. I was in the hospital for four more days. I did not have a lot of pain or or other problems. I did have the tube in my chest break while they were removing it, but Dr. Galloway made a small incision and took it out. So, there were minimal problems. Having a good surgeon makes things a lot easier! He knew exactly what to do.
I was discharged on Saturday, and went to a hotel near the hospital. By Sunday, I was able to go to dinner in a wheelchair, to keep me from getting too tired. I stayed in New York for approximately five days—going out each day, but being careful. I arrived back in Colorado, and spent one week at home helping my wife do things and going with her on errands. After the second week, I was able to drive, and during the third week, I returned to the radio program.
I have been seen by my local cardiologist, who indicated that I needed to continue taking my blood pressure medicine, and to increase my Mevacor (cholesterol RX) due to the minor blockage I still have.
I believe I was well taken care of in New York, and that Dr. Galloway is an outstanding surgeon. Minimal heart surgery should definitely be looked into by anyone needing heart surgery, prior to letting a doctor open your chest. It shows if you know the tricks of the trade, the problems get resolved easily.
This testimonial was originally posted on troubleshooter.com.