A Journey Through Open
Heart Surgery
Dr. Allan Morris on Heart Surgery
| I
show the video below mainly to introduce you to Dr. Morris and show
that Mercy General Hospital, Sacramento, is always pursuing the latest
technology. I don't think this particular technology was used in
my operation, but they did use the latest heart-lung machine. |
.
| During
the early months of 2016 my congestive heart failure became noticeably
worse week by week and, toward the end of April, walking only 20 feet
was enough to make me stop to catch my breath. I learned that, in
addition to the atrial fibrillation and partially blocked arteries I'd
had for years, three of my heart valves were barely functioning:
mitral, aortic, and tricuspid. This led me to conclude that the
only possibility for further modestly active life was open heart
surgery. With my wife and son we discussed the details of an
operation with Dr. Morris at Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento. Our discussion below with Dr. Morris can be divided into 4 parts: Part 1. General discussion of how the heart works and what is/was happening in my heart. -- 0 to 9 minutes Part 2 What is the scope of an operation and recovery to correct these problems? -- 9 to 17 minutes. Part 3. Extensive discussion of options, risks and pittfalls. -- about 17 to 32 minutes. Part 4. Continued discussions toward making a decision, and ultimate decision. -- about 32 to the end at 56 minutes. |
Discussion With Dr. Morris a Month Prior to Surgery
(Scroll down to reveal control bar if
necessary.)
Summary of results four months after the surgery