About Dr. Richard Kim,
Heart Surgeon

"I had known since my mid-twenties that I was born with a leaky, bicuspid aortic valve. I was in Europe last summer when my heart felt like it was missing beats. That's when my cardiologist told me "it's time for surgery."

At first, I thought that my options were a metal valve or cow or pig valve. But both would require re-operations within a certain number of years, and mechanical valves require blood thinners. Then I learned about the Ross procedure, which replaces the aortic valve with a patient's own pulmonary valve, and then replaces the pulmonary valve with a donor valve. Not many surgeons perform the Ross because of its complexity. But its success rate is very high, and it often restores full life expectancy for younger patients like me.

The reputation of Cedars-Sinai helped lead me to Dr. Kim. My overall take on Cedars was how on top of patient communications they are. All the schedulers not only got me in for consultation and surgery faster than other hospitals, but they took the initiative to contact my cardiologists to get my records for me. Even after my surgery with Dr. Kim and Dr. Viegas, other hospitals were calling saying that they could finally give me just a consult. Full open-heart surgery is scary. And waking up with a breathing tube is not an experience I'd care to repeat. But I got better fast. And Dr. Kim came to visit me in the ICU daily after my surgery. Both Dr. Kim and Dr. Viegas were very attentive when talking with me. Their NP, Nicole Berndsen, was also terrific. Six months after surgery, I'm 95% back to normal.

Dr. Kim and Dr. Viegas performed a complex operation brilliantly. I can now look forward to the rest of my life knowing that I most likely won't need heart valve surgery again. I can only recommend this feeling 100%!"

"I had always known that I was at risk for a rare but serious heart infection because I was born with a small extra hole between my ventricles. In my early 30s, I suddenly developed a persistent, low-grade fever without any explanation. It slowly progressed to shortness of breath, weakness, vision changes, palpitations, and bleeding under my skin.

Because heart infections are so rare, particularly in young people, local doctors failed to recognize it until it had progressed to end stage heart failure and sepsis. An echocardiogram revealed a visible overgrowth of bacteria inside my heart. I was informed that my aortic valve was dead, having succumbed to the infection. It had been reduced to a loose flap dangling uselessly, no longer able to pump enough blood away from my heart and into my body. I was immediately transferred to a more advanced hospital, but the surgeon there was very honest about the severity and complexity of my condition.

The required surgery was beyond his expertise, and I was told there was a high risk of me dying during or after surgery. He made some calls and told me he found a surgeon at Cedars-Sinai who was very confident he could take my case. I was then helicoptered down to Los Angeles. That same night, another discovery was made: I was seven weeks pregnant.

Suddenly, surgery for one became surgery for two. I was told that due to the nature of my surgery, my baby might not survive. Dr. Pedro Catarino was confident, calm, and compassionate. He was incredibly generous with his time talking with my very worried husband about the nature of the surgery, why specific surgical decisions were made given my unique circumstances, and what my future prognosis looked like. Dr. Catarino expertly recommended a modern, state of the art bioprosthetic valve over an "old school" mechanical valve, in order to allow me to carry a healthy baby and continue an active life as a young athletic woman. The idea of a large sternotomy incision was not only scary, but I was quietly worried about having such a gruesome scar.

Dr. Catarino expertly performed the smallest sternotomy ever done at Cedars-Sinai. I'm happy to say that I can still wear a two-piece bathing suit with confidence, and nobody would ever know I had open heart surgery.

Dr. Richard Kim, Dr. Catarino's co-surgeon, closed the hole in my heart to prevent a future recurrence of the infection that took my aortic valve. Dr. Kim was incredibly kind and thoroughly reassured me about all my worries before my surgery. The surgical team worked closely with the hospital's OB team to ensure the best possible odds of survival for my baby. After surgery, the very first thing that they did was a pelvic ultrasound -- my baby was safe — and thriving! I recovered in the ICU for a few more days.

Right before I left the hospital, I was so happy with the nursing staff that I filled out around twenty standing ovation cards. Within two weeks after my discharge, I went for a long walk outdoors and cleared 20,000 steps. The minimally invasive incision pioneered by Dr. Catarino allowed me to drive and go back to work much sooner than is typical for a standard sternotomy. My pregnancy progressed flawlessly without any complications, and I was even able to have a homebirth like I always wanted. Three years after my surgery, my husband and I now have two young daughters. The bioprosthetic valve was the perfect choice for my lifestyle and made having a family possible.

Dr. Catarino received both of my daughters' birth announcements. I also send Dr. Catarino and his team a Christmas card every year with updates about how we are doing. My valve requires a replacement after about 15 years, and my hope is to have it performed by Dr. Catarino. I would gladly drive 3 hours out of town just to have him as my heart surgeon again, even though there are much more convenient options closer to home. I wouldn't choose anyone else, and I'd highly recommend him to anyone in need of a surgeon they can trust."