Donna's Profile

I was diagnosed with severe Mitral Valve Prolapse with severe regurgitation in August based on my ECHO. My cardiologist referred me for minimally invasive open heart surgery to repair or replace my valve. I have been consulting with a few cardio-thoracic surgeons in the Dallas area and am grateful for the good care we have here. I do need more tests to determine the extent of damage to my valve as it appears I may have both anterior and posterior damage and thickening of valves . I will also need assessment of the condition of my coronary arteries, so have scheduled TEE ( transesophageal echo) and CT angiogram. I am trying to decide if robotic or mini-thoracotomy will be best solution for me , weighing the recovery , the time on bypass and ability to get scheduled this year. I have a supportive family and friends and trusting God as i make decisions with my husband of 37 years !