Taihao's Posts

Hello TAIHAO, what are your peak velocity and surface area of the aortic valve? My pressure was very similar to yours. Velocity was >4m/s and area was 1.06 sqcm. I was asymptomatic until I had a syncope in Sep 2025 which accelerated the surgery to December 2025. I had the Ross Procedure in Montreal, Canada . If you have any questions, glad to help out. 🙏❤️‍🩹

I had regurgitation, but once I became “severe”, they recommended surgery even though I wasn’t symptomatic. I was running 3 miles on my treadmill the week before my surgery. One of the things they have learned is the less symptomatic people are pre-surgery, the better outcomes they are likely to have post-surgery. However, they generally won’t recommend surgery until you reach that “severe” threshold. My timeline: - April 2024 - found out I might have a problem when I went to the doc to get blood pressure medication. - July 2024- I was diagnosed with moderate regurgitation. - February 2025 - diagnosed severe and recommended for surgery. - April 2025 - I met my surgeon. - June 2025 - I had surgery. - October 2025 - Feeling back to normal for everything except for exercising & climbing stairs. 18 months from my GP saying, “let’s give you an EKG” and seeing a dip to full recovery. If I hadn’t given up on getting my blood pressure down on my own, I never would have known. Also, the donor valves are treated and stored. There is no transplant waiting period or risk of rejection. It’s not like live-organ transplants. its also important to remember that even if you are recommended for a Ross, you will need a backup plan in case they discover your pulmonary valve is unsuitable for relocation or if there is some other problem during surgery.

THAIHAO, I had my Ross procedure at the Montreal Heart Institute last december. As soon as you show any symptoms, the waiting list is between 12-16 weeks since I had a syncope event, my waiting time was 6-8 weeks. If you can’t get a referral to another province, the Montreal heart institute accepts international/other provinces but your healthcare/insurance may not cover it. Good luck in your research and hope you find a Ross center. In the meantime, take care of yourself. 🙏

Hi Thaihao, I too was asymptomatic. During the surgical referral my surgeon looked at the echo and said despite being asymptomatic "you shouldn't wait more than 6 weeks ...do it was his call. The homograft donation is not like a kidney donation as it comes from a deceased donor. The hospital gets it from a special supplier. My surgeon was funny he said " you're kinda of a big guy. I'll have to make sure we have some big ones in the freezer" . When the open you up they size your pulmonic valve to select the proper homograft size. Good luck!