Another update:
We met today with the people at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Department of Cardiology. We met two of the cardiac surgeons as well as other members of the surgical team. Today they did an EKG, a blood draw, an echo-cardiogram as well as a CT scan w/contrast. There were a few other tests to determine whether I qualify for the newer less invasive THV (Transcatheter Heart Valve) procedure which does NOT require open-heart surgery. Basically they replace the aortic valve by using a catheter device through the groin, similar to how they do angiograms or perform angioplasty procedures (installing stents in a coronary artery).
Anyway, next Wednesday the surgical team will look at the results of my tests and will determine the next step. If they feel that I'm a high-risk patient or someone who would not be able to endure the more conventional open-heart procedure to replace the aortic valve, then the THV procedure would be the recommended way to go. However, so far the doctors seem to think that I'm young enough and healthy enough to under-go the more conventional open-heart procedure.
That being said, the reason that my cardiologist wanted me to go to Cedars-Sinai in the first place was because they are currently conducting a research study as to the effectiveness of the THV procedure versus the traditional open-heart valve replacement for patients like me who would not normally be a candidate for the newer procedure (due to me being a low-risk patient). If I'm accepted into the study there would still only be a 50-50 chance that I would get the THV procedure since this is a sort of 'double-blind' study comparing the outcomes of the two procedures done on similar groups of normally low-risk patients. The purpose of the study is to get eventual FDA approval of the THV procedure for ALL aortic valve replacement patients. In fact, if we lived in Germany or Canada, there would be no question but that I would qualify for the less invasive THV procedure now. However, in the US the THV procedure is still limited to only high-risk patients, but this study at Cedars-Sinai is being done in the hope of changing all of that.
So the bottom line is that the doctors appear to think I won't have any problems and if all goes well, I'll be a candidate for the research study, but we won't know that until at least next Wednesday, January 4th.
I have one thing to say, the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is an amazing place as I've never been in such a modern medical facility. They have all of the latest equipment and everything is fully computerized. And the people there were very professional while at the same time being very friendly and personable. Even the two surgeons that we met took the time to talk to us and answer our questions. All of the people, except the surgeons, were on a first-name basis, immediately introducing themselves and making sure that we knew exactly what was happening and why. They were very efficient and was even able to get the day's tests done ahead of the original schedule that we were given when we first got there. I can see why my doctor wanted me to go there as it appears to be the place you would like to think is best equipped for a critical procedure like this.
We'll update you again next week.
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