"Heart Surgery - Questions Every Patient Should Ask" - Brandi Hitt
Just hearing that you or someone you know needs to have heart surgery can be overwhelming. While you are processing the idea, you will probably be filled with questions. Experts say that asking the right questions during your consultation with a cardiac surgeon can help you approach your operation with confidence instead of fear. David H. Adams, MD, professor and system chair of cardiovascular surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and surgeon in chief of the Mount Sinai Health System, spends about an hour with new patients, walking them through how the heart works, what the recommended procedure will accomplish and why they need it. "I like to show them their actual anatomy and compare it to normal anatomy so they really understand what their disease is," Dr. Adams said. "I think when they understand that, I think a lot of the, sort of, fear leaves them." Dr. Adams also emphasizes the importance of asking doctors about their experience, especially as it relates to the exact type of surgery you'll need.
- David H. Adams, MD, Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Professor, System Chair, Cardiovascular Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Surgeon-in-Chief, The Mount Sinai Health System
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