Richard's Profile

I am a 64 year old male. I had an angiogram and TEE on March 11, 2016, to confirm that I have severe mitral valve regurgitation. It all started on January 27, 2016, when I was in for a regular (two year!) check up with my primary care doctor. He listened to my heart in two places and said that I had a heart murmur and needed an echocardiogram. Since I was asymptomatic, or at least I thought so, I didn't worry much about it. The echocardiogram that was done on February 16, showed what looked like severe MVR. I followed that up on March 2 with a cardiologist in New Orleans that scheduled me for the TEE and angiogram the next week. I had tried to get an appointment with a local cardiologist, but I would still be waiting. I was fortunate to get a referral from my son's friend, and he worked me in the next week. The severe MVR was confirmed and another surprising discovery was that I had a 68% blockage in my left anterior descending artery (LAD), or better know as the "widow maker". Since there usually is no symptoms for this type of blockage, and it is a major coronary artery, when it causes a heart attack, it is often fatal. Without the severe MVR I would have never known. I guess the next step is to find a surgeon and hospital. I was told that I would need the surgery in the next three to six months. It is amazing what a difference a few weeks can make!