Jeannette's Profile

I was about 40 years old when I first learned that I had a heart murmur. I practised a lot of sports then, which I’ve kept up for many years. I’ve had no symptoms of a defective aortic valve until recent years. I’m still active but on a different level, e.g. walking my two dogs, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, in-line skating and riding my bike. I enjoy gardening and always have a project on the go. I have been following a very healthy diet since the late 70s and have also been taking natural supplements for about 40 years. I am sure that all this has contributed to my well-being up until now despite having severe aortic stenosis. I had tests done in May 2016 at the New Brunswick Heart Centre of the Saint John Regional Hospital. The first day consisted of routine testing (I was told I had two heart murmurs!) and on the second day, a catheterization procedure (heart-dye test) took place. The procedure didn’t take long and I was glad to hear the words “no blocked arteries”! My surgery is scheduled for September 28, 2016. I will be having a bovine aortic valve, as well as replacement or repair of the ascending aorta. The doctor who will perform my surgery is Dr. Ansar Hassan, an expertly skilled cardiothoracic surgeon who has been at the Saint John Regional Hospital since January 2009. Dr. Hassan is also a researcher, as well as associate professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Upon completion of his residency training in 2007, Dr. Hassan did a two-year clinical fellowship under the tutelage of Dr. Randolph Chitwood, the world’s leader in robotic and minimally invasive cardiac surgery.