Video Interview: Dr. Stewart's Advice for Heart Surgery Patients During COVID-19 Pandemic

As coronavirus cases surge past 921,000 infections worldwide, patients in our community are asking important questions about COVID-19 and heart valve surgery. Those questions include:

• How do pandemics, like COVID-19, rise-and-fall over time?

• What resources are being re-allocated from cardiac surgery to COVID-19 treatment?

• How long might it take for heart valve surgeries to be rescheduled?

• What can patients do to manage stress and stay healthy as they wait for surgery?

• What role can telemedicine play for patients before-and-after heart surgery during a pandemic?

To answer these questions, I was fortunate to interview Dr. Allan Stewart, a leading heart surgeon in Miami, Florida. As you may know, Doctor Stewart specializes in minimally-invasive heart valve surgery and aortic aneurysm procedures. Dr. Stewart has successfully treated many patients in our community including Donna Herzek, Lilliam Filer and Ray Pipher.

During our interview, Dr. Stewart provided several important learnings specific to the coronavirus and heart valve surgery including:

• The sharp rise of new COVID-19 cases happening across the world, including New York, is to be expected given normal growth and life-cycle patterns of viral pandemics.

• Social distancing has been shown to be an effective strategy for “flattening the curve” of pandemics. By reducing new infections, (i) hospitals are not overwhelmed and (ii) researchers and medical teams "buy time" to evaluate potential treatments and/or vaccines.

• To appropriately allocate resources for the management of rising COVID-19 cases, previously scheduled heart valve operations may be rescheduled if the medical team believes the surgery can be postponed without causing any risk to the patient’s health.

• Resources associated with a heart valve surgery include beds, operating rooms, ventilators, personal protective equipment (masks, gowns, gloves) and blood.

• People (doctors, nurses, perfusionists, x-ray technicians) are considered the most important resource to perform heart surgery. It is estimated that about 100 people will touch a cardiac patient between their office visit and their discharge.

• Dr. Stewart does not believe the delay to reschedule a heart valve surgery will be extensive (greater than 3 months) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, he believes the rescheduling process may occur in several weeks.

• To manage patient stress and anxiety during the “waiting time” for a delayed heart surgery, Dr. Stewart recommends (i) meditation using smartphone apps including Calm, (ii) eating good, healthy foods, and (iii) exercise if approved by your cardiologist.

• Telemedicine has been a significant part of Dr. Stewart’s heart surgery practice for many years. Now, more than ever, telemedicine is a convenient way for patients to get educated about their upcoming surgery, learn about their recovery, and participate in cardiac rehabilitation classes.

Many thanks to Dr. Allan Stewart for taking the time to share his clinical experiences, research and thoughts about the coronavirus with our community!

Related articles:

• Free eBook: Advances in COVID-19 & Heart Valve Therapy

• In New York, COVID-19 Will Not Break Dr. Craig Smith

• Medtronic Doubles Ventilator Production to Help COVID-19 Patients

• Video: Is Heart Valve Surgery "Elective" During Coronavirus Crisis?

• 20 Facts about COVID-19 & Heart Valve Disease

Keep on tickin!
Adam