1. < Aortic Aneurysms

Appointment with Dr. Pochettino

Posted by sbest010 @sbest010, May 27 9:37am

Please advise if anyone has experience with scheduling a second opinion with Dr. Pochettino. I am looking to see if he/his team will do a record reviews or a second opinion consult via Zoom.

I am willing to pay for this independently but since I live out of state, I was seeking guidance.

If this is not possible, please advise if anyone can offer guidance on how best to obtain an in person appointment.

For background, I was recently diagnosed in April 2024 of a 4.2 dilation of my ascending aorta via a CT scan which was an incidental finding when additional screening related to a mammogram finding was being performed.

I am aware that normally this would not meet the surgical threshold but I am presenting with difficulty swallowing at times and intermittent hoarseness. In addition my stature is small at 5ft which I understand should be considered as part of the equation.

Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

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sbest010 | @sbest010 | Jun 2 12:38pm
In reply to @hsminc "Dr. Pochettino is fabulous. We sought a second opinion with him and decided to stay with..." + (show)
@hsminc

Dr. Pochettino is fabulous. We sought a second opinion with him and decided to stay with him until and if aneurysm surgery is necessary.
He is not only a kind and smart man but we were very interested in his research on antegrade cerebral perfusion, which keeps blood flowing to the brain during open heart surgery - which, of course, is what an aneurysm involves.
While a previous surgeon had said that he would just work quickly to get the repair done within the requisite 20 minutes cooling time, we were interested in someone that would and could use other methods. What if the surgery could not be done within 20 minutes? We were very concerned about cognitive deficits resulting from surgery.
I work with patients anticipating surgery. There is growing realization, especially for older patients, that general anesthesia, anesthesia overall, and just the surgical process produces inflammation. UCSF researchers recently published work stating they may have identified a brain element that produces the immune reaction that possibly is responsible for damage in the brain stemming from surgery. This was denied for years but more and more research indicates that this is something to be concerned about.
Usually you must schedule at least three months ahead of time to see almost any physician at Mayo. Mayo may not have relationships with all insurers and it may be difficult to schedule if you have some Medicare Advantage products; this is true for many, if not most, big medical centers. You need to talk to the insurance people.

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Hsminc you wrote a very informative and helpful post.

The issue regarding the cerebral perfusion is something I have been investigating and you helped to further educate me so thank you.

I have contacted Mayo and initiated a records review request to see if they will accept me on their service.

As stated above I do not met the surgical threshold but there are contributing factors and being younger at 53, I know the aneurysm will continue to dilate just based on aging alone.

I am hoping after the intake call and Mayo obtaining my records, I can start being followed.

If anyone has experienced a records review and wishes to provide insight about the review process I would be very grateful.

Please know I truly appreciate everyone’s valuable input and keep everyone that has posted in my prayers.

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