I just received a question from Daniel about the common heart valve problems that lead to valve repair and valve replacement operations.
Daniel writes, “Hi Adam - Thanks for your book and blog. I was diagnosed several months ago with pulmonary stenosis. The docs think I won’t need surgery for a few years as I am [...]

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I receive A LOT of patient emails about their cardiac surgeons. Some of those emails are good. And, well, some of those emails are… not so good.
One heart surgeon who consistently receives praise from his heart valve patients is Doctor Vincent Gaudiani from Pacific Coast Cardiac & Vascular Surgeons in Redwood City, California.  Dr. Gaudiani [...]

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Talk about inspirational? I just read this extra-ordinary story at The Chronicle about Shay Richardson.  I thought you might enjoy it…
Shay Richardson is the picture of health just weeks after a life-saving operation. At just six years of age, he has undergone major surgery at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital after being born with faulty heart valves [...]

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On November 27, 2007, I posted a blog titled, “Will Heart Valve Manufacturers Consolidate And Gobble Up Each Other?”. In that post, I rambled-on about the possibility that the heart valve industry would consolidate to create advantages for both patients and manufacturers.
Guess what?
Earlier this week, Medtronic spent over $1 billion to acquire two heart valve [...]

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Barbara, a 57-year old patient from Georgia, just asked me a very honest question about heat valve surgery and hospitals.
She writes, “Hi Adam - I’ve been diagnosed with severe stenosis of the aortic valve. I got a second opinion to confirm the diagnosis. Now, I’m mentally preparing for what lays ahead of me. I’m overwhelmed. [...]

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I could be wrong but I think the cliche goes something like, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” While I’m not a fan of cliches, I am a fan of this one - especially when it comes to understanding heart valve surgery.
Before my surgery, seeing pictures and diagrams helped me digest (i) my diagnosis [...]

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As I previously shared with you, I love to swim. Although Robyn (my pregnant wife) can’t stand the residual, chlorine smell on my skin from the work-outs, I try to swim three times a week.
That said, I was very interested to read about Danny Thrall, a competitive collegiate swimmer that is recovering from aorta and [...]

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I just received a very, very, very interesting question from Debbie about stroke and heart surgery.
Debbie writes, “Adam - My mom is having open heart surgery next week due to severe regurgitation from a mitral valve prolapse. I have heard that stroke is a risk for patients during cardiac surgery. Is that true?”

Diagram Explaining A [...]

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Even though there continues to be some, ongoing debate as to the long-term efficacy of the Ross Procedure, many of my readers continue to select this unique form of aortic valve replacement. Here is the latest Ross Procedure success story from Bruce in Texas.
Hello Adam-
I am now almost 5 weeks post-surgery. I feel GREAT after [...]

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I start my days with a good, fifteen minute stretch that includes both breathing and yoga exercises. Some days, I watch The Today Show with Matt Laurer, Meredith Vieira, Ann Curry and Al Roker as I stretch.

This morning… There was a very interesting segment led by The Today Show’s chief medical editor, Dr. Nancy [...]

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