Christopher's Profile

In April of 2021, as a result of a coronary calcium score, I was told that I had an aortic aneurysm measuring 4.8 cm. I was having some chest pains that may or may not have been related to the condition, so I was referred to Piedmont Atlanta heart center, and consulted with a surgeon there about possible surgery. I asked where I could get a second opinion and was told either Dr. Svensson or Dr. Roselli at the Cleveland Clinic (CC). Through much effort, I finally got an appointment at the CC in October of 2021. The tests there revealed my aneurysm measured roughly 5.0 cm, and that my bicuspid heart valve appeared to be in good shape. Dr. Roselli basically said that it's not going away and it was at the point where surgery could be scheduled (but not a rush). He said that he would try to preserve my heart valve, but that was a call he would have to make in surgery. Well, on April 4, 2022 I had surgery and that is exactly what happened. The ascending aneurysm was replaced with a 28 mm hemashield graft, and my bicuspid valve was externally sutured until it was functioning in a "pristine" manner. Additionally, my atrial appendage was clipped should I have problems with AFIB in the future.