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"Aneurysm Thoracic Aortic Without Rupture"?

Posted by surreal name @sofaramnotdead, Sep 5, 2022

For around 5 years, some Mayo physicians have monitored my aneurysm above. I also have an artificial heart valve.

Suddenly, a couple of years ago my Mayo physicians said that there is no reason for me to be seen regularly by a cardiologist.

I was told that Mayo has to devote equal time to all of their heart patients, and that's why they can't do an MRI or an echocardiogram, unless I'm having symptoms that need to be addressed.

Is anyone else here in a situation like mine?

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surreal name | @sofaramnotdead | Dec 8, 2022
In reply to @hsminc "This sounds very strange to me. It is not good. I can understand your concern and..." + (show)
@hsminc

This sounds very strange to me. It is not good. I can understand your concern and I hope you can find out what the reasons could possibly be. I have been a patient at "Mother Mayo" since about 1990 and this would be very unusual unless a patient made a miraculous recovery and no longer needed specialty care. I can see referring you to another cardiologist but not primary care - not with a valve and an aneurysm,
Have you been seen in Cardiology at Mother Mayo or at one of the Mayo Health System satellites? It is possible that policies and procedures at a satellite may be different than at Mother Mayo.
I ask this because you mentioned primary care, which has not been available to most patients at Mother Mayo since about 2015. The exceptions may be former Mayo staff members and maybe other patients for whom they feel primary care/internal medicine is medically necessary and appropriate.
Please keep us posted. I second the suggestion to see the patient advocate for the satellite where you get care or at Mother Mayo.

Jump to this post

Please give me a URL to a link that says, "primary care, which has not been available to most patients at Mayo since about 2015." I don't know where you got that from. Where is it written?
You're saying that Mayo wants most patients to make appointments directly with specialists,
and to leave the primary care doctor out of it? 😀

REPLY
nlg | @nlg | Dec 18, 2022

Yearly ECHO is a good way to follow the aneurysm size. Most radiologists are very good about the measurements. Even the cardiologist rarely look at the actual images, but rely on the radiologist read/report. Your PCP can order the test and read the report. The 5 cm size threshold has been debated by the surgeons. If the size creeps up slowly, then when do you need the surgeon?
They seem to wait until your valve goes to enter the chest. But since you already have an artificial valve....I would definitely follow the size.
FYI: I just had mine repaired, along with a bovine valve. It took nearly 10 years to go from 4.7 to 5. What an experience!

REPLY
1 reply
fjc1962 | @fjc1962 | Dec 19, 2022
In reply to @nlg "Yearly ECHO is a good way to follow the aneurysm size. Most radiologists are very good..." + (show)
@nlg

Yearly ECHO is a good way to follow the aneurysm size. Most radiologists are very good about the measurements. Even the cardiologist rarely look at the actual images, but rely on the radiologist read/report. Your PCP can order the test and read the report. The 5 cm size threshold has been debated by the surgeons. If the size creeps up slowly, then when do you need the surgeon?
They seem to wait until your valve goes to enter the chest. But since you already have an artificial valve....I would definitely follow the size.
FYI: I just had mine repaired, along with a bovine valve. It took nearly 10 years to go from 4.7 to 5. What an experience!

Jump to this post

I hope you are you doing well since your surgery. Where did you have it done?

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