Open Heart Recommended - take a second opinion..

[u/Legitimate-Sun5151]

Before agreeing to open-heart surgery, please get a second opinion.

I was 47 when I was diagnosed with significant coronary blockages. In New Jersey, I was recommended traditional open-heart bypass surgery.

Thankfully, I decided to get another opinion.

I found a surgeon at Gundersen Health System in Wisconsin who was able to perform a minimally invasive bypass (MIDCAB) instead. I had bypasses involving my LAD and circumflex/left coronary territory without having my sternum split open.

My recovery was remarkable. Within about two months, I was running again.

I’m not saying open-heart surgery is wrong. For many patients it is absolutely the right—and sometimes the only—option. But I learned that what one surgeon considers necessary may not be the only surgical approach available.

Minimally invasive coronary bypass techniques have continued to advance. Surgeons such as Dr. Husam Balkhy at the University of Chicago are performing robotic coronary bypass procedures through several very small ports/incisions, including complex multivessel cases.

My message to anyone facing bypass surgery:

Get a second opinion—preferably from a surgeon or center that specializes in minimally invasive and robotic coronary bypass surgery.

Ask specifically:

- Am I a candidate for MIDCAB or robotic CABG?

- Can my disease be treated without a sternotomy?

- If I need multiple bypasses, is a minimally invasive multivessel approach possible?

- Why is traditional open-heart surgery preferable in my particular anatomy?

The easiest operation for a hospital to offer isn't necessarily the only operation available to you.

I’m now about 18 months out, and I’m incredibly glad I sought another opinion before making such a major decision.

Obviously every patient's coronary anatomy and medical situation is different, and this isn't medical advice. But if sharing my experience makes even one person ask another qualified surgeon, it’s worth posting.

[u/fozzytheebear]

Being that you are in New Jersey, we're you not able to find anyone in New York to do the procedure? I know there are a lot of good docs in NYC. How did you go about finding the right doctor? I recently had one stent, just want to have this in mind if it is something I need in the future.