Do you see only one Doctor?

You should see a cardiologist who specializes in aortic diseases, not all of them do and makes a huge difference, aortic specialists understand the proper follow up protocol and can give you much better answers.

Once an aortic aneurysm has been found a cardiologist should follow you up before and after surgery (if it’s ever needed), pretty much for life.

Thank you . I have wondered why I have never been referred. I will bring this to the attention of my Doctors. Thx again .

I don't snowbird as I live in Central Florida year round. My "main" cardiologist is at Mayo Jacksonville, but I have a second cardiologist close to home. I have the second one just in case there is an emergency and someone here is familiar with my case history. The local doctor isn't as good as the Mayo one, but it's comforting having someone nearby, just in case.

Thank you. My exact feeling and I don’t understand what either of my Doctors never suggested . I guess it’s up to me. Thx again.

At one point I had three cardiology type doctors! My regular cardiologist I adore, a valve specialist and the surgeon. I am very lucky that they all were part of the same group! It also put slightly different eyes on things coming into my repairs.

Makes sense thank you. I’m hoping my Doctor will refer me.

@camb40 You should do more than hope your Dr will refer you to a cardiologist that specializes in aortic aneurysms etc. It became apparent to me and my primary care doctor that the local cardiologist in Tallahassee was missing something and he got me referred to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. I only see that special cardiologist in Jacksonville and if anything else happens, I have a surgeon and an interventional cardiologist there that is very intimate with my case. Getting into an emergent situation with a local ER and general cardiologist isn't a very good plan unless that local ER happens to be Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic etc. I have instruction that are written and my family knows to convey the local ER if I end up there to call the on-call cardiologist at Mayo Jacksonville.

Experience is my testimony for this response.
I truly believe that money is the main factor for some doctors not referring patients to specialists. I was hospitalized for a bad reaction to a medication, trusted medical attention from
several PCP folks that were rushed by the 15 minute per patient practice, and adding medication on top of medication. This may seem cruel, but money plays a crucial role in getting
a patient on the road to recovery, or, referring them to specialists. I believe it’s best to have all of your medical issues treated under one roof, in order to make sure medications for different
issues do not interfere with each other. Patients moving from one practitioner affects the
“bottom line”.

@camb40 I live in Florida, but have multiple cardiologists. I have a local one in Florida, one in Illinois where I do extended visits with family and at Mayo in Minnesota where my surgery is scheduled for April. I make sure to always share reports from one with the others. I also think it is important to get the yearly testing done at the same facility. I found the measurement varies from facility to facility.

@jefftalley Me too. I have a local cardiologist in Celebration and will be having my surgery in April at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.