Philip Praises Star Cardiologist for Edwards Sapien Implant

"To me he is a star of the first magnitude —one of the brightest stars in the sky."

Patient: Philip Borsuk,

Diagnosis: Acute on chronic diastolic heart failure, aortic valve disease

Treatment: Implantation of Edwards SAPIEN™ valve

"About 25 years ago, in Los Angeles, I had a heart attack followed by triple bypass. I exercised and watched what I ate and felt quite well for a long time, although a couple of years ago my LA cardiologist heard a murmur, did an angiogram, and told me my aortic valve was calcifying. He said we would watch it but it might not get any worse.

Well, it did get worse, and I began to get symptoms — tightness in the chest, dizziness — which was when I was referred to Dr. Sharma in New York, where my wife and I live part of the year. In the fall of 2012, he performed catheterization, and afterward he told me, with a big, confident smile, 'Your heart is strong, your arteries are clean, and we can take care of your aortic valve.'

On December 13, 2012, Dr. Sharma replaced my native valve with an Edwards SAPIEN™ valve in a percutaneous procedure. Everything went smoothly. The next day I was up and walking briskly in the CCU, and the day after that I went home.

I've been fortunate to have excellent cardiac care when I needed it. My triple bypass was performed by a student of renowned cardiac surgeon Michael DeBakey, MD and Dr. Sharma is a cardiologist of that high caliber. When I met him, I said, 'Dr. Sharma, I have heard so many wonderful things about you, I expected you to be 17 feet tall.' To me he is a star of the first magnitude — one of the brightest stars in the sky."