Michael's Profile

After 11 years with a heart murmur with little issue, I was diagnosed with severe mitral valve regurgitation. Based on my research of the condition, I completed various basic standard tests and researched the potential for minimally invasive mitral valve repair. I defined two institutions and surgeons who could repair the mitral valve. The two top hospitals considered were the Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic. I narrowed the search to two surgeons, Dr. A. Marc Gillinov and Dr. Rakesh Suri. Dr. Suri now also works at the Cleveland Clinic but is located overseas. I decided to have surgery at the Cleveland Clinic due to the potential to have a minimally invasive procedure either conventionally or using robotics in a shorter time schedule. Surgery was completed on July 14, 2014 using a minimally invasive robotic technique by Dr. Marc Gillinov. I was discharged on July 18, 2014 with no complications. I returned to work on September 8, 2014. I completed cardiac rehab on November 11, 2014.