Heart Surgery Just Isn't Much Fun

It all started last Christmas when an echocardiogram revealed I needed a heart catheterization.

The “cath” showed I had a leaky diseased aortic valve and to top it off, an aneurysm. I could get it fixed or die, simple as that.

My family convinced me I still had some years left on planet Earth and I pushed onward. Having a cardiac anesthesiologist cousin was mighty handy. He guided me in finding the best place to go. “You want a team,” he said. “A whole team of good doctors, not just one. If something goes wrong, there is backup. He also noted the importance of a good anesthesiologist.”

His res...