[HSF] Trip to Croatia

[Hgrmd at aol.com]

Prasanna,
  Congratulations on your successful trip to Croatia.  Bojan and  his men put 
you through your paces!  I echo Ani's comments.  Unless  the reason was 
compelling financially, I definitely would have gotten rid of  that archaic 
Starr-Edwards in a multi redo patient.  That was probably her  last opportunity to be 
safely redone.
  Also, unless the posterior leaflet couldn't be reconstructed, why  would 
you use a Mitrofast with bileaflet prolapse?  The margin of error  with the 
anterior leaflet is much less than the posterior.  If you could  fix the anterior, 
surely the posterior could have been repaired as well.   As far as I know, 
there exists no long term followup of this device.  We  have no assurance that 
it will function in the same way as a well-repaired  myxomatous valve.  
  Criticisms aside, I am envious that you got to make such a  trip.  My hope 
is to do something similar in the future, because I've  always learned 
something useful when I've done as such.
 
Hal



************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.