"Five Stars Isn't Enough!

I went to Cedars-Sinai for cervical spine surgery after being cleared from a cardiac standpoint. I have a known bicuspid aortic valve, and prior echocardiograms at Cedars had shown only mild calcification — something we expected to address years down the road, possibly with TAVR. At the time, the findings were not severe enough to warrant intervention.

However, while under anesthesia — before the first incision — my blood pressure suddenly dropped to 40. The team acted immediately, aborted the spine surgery, and performed an intraoperative TEE. What they discovered likely saved my life: a severely calcified bicuspid aortic valve that had been underestimated on prior imaging, including a partially immobile leaflet causing critical obstruction.

Within hours, while I was still in recovery, I was reevaluated by the cardiac team at Cedars-Sinai.

Dr. Raj Makkar thoughtfully reconsidered TAVR. Technically, he could have performed it. However, given my relatively young age, strong surgical profile, the heavy calcification, and the asymmetric anatomy of my valve, he recommended surgical valve replacement instead. He explained that in my specific case, given the condition and structure of my valve, TAVR would most likely require additional intervention — potentially including a stent — which could complicate future spine surgery and long-term management. That level of restraint and long-view thinking impressed me deeply.

That recommendation led me to Dr. Pedro Catarino. From our first meeting, Dr. Catarino was calm, measured, and transparent. There was no hard sell, just clarity, experience, and confidence backed by data. After reviewing his outcomes and speaking with him at length, I made the decision to proceed with open-heart surgical valve replacement.

He performed the operation flawlessly. Post-operatively, he visited multiple times — not only in a clinical capacity, but personally. At one point, we hugged. I thanked him for saving my life. He thanked me for entrusting him with it. That moment said everything about who he is. The Smidt Heart Institute team operates like a world-class orchestra.

From the cardiac anesthesia specialists to the perfusion team, ICU nurses, and recovery staff — every individual knew their role and executed it with precision. As I was wheeled into the operating room and saw the depth of expertise focused entirely on one goal, I felt I was in the best possible hands.

Today, I have a new bioprosthetic valve, complete removal of the calcified native valve, and a future that feels wide open again. Cedars-Sinai didn't just fix my heart. They made the right call at every critical decision point.

To Dr. Catarino and the entire Smidt Heart Institute team: you were my guardians and my angels. I will never forget it."