Sharing Mayo Clinic - September 2009 Archives

Every physician Anne Stohrer and her son turned to for treatment of his chronic knee and hip pain came-up with a non-diagnosis. Many frustrating years ...

A patient writes: I am Cynthia Smith and was recently a patient at Mayo. I have written the following story to share... Thanks to Dr. Link, and ...

Linda Rhodes, coordinator of Management Development, recently interviewed the new nurse manager of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Orthopedic Surgery at Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida. She talks about her experience throughout orientation and her transition from Mayo Clinic's Arizona campus.

Darrin Nelson of Rochester, NY, wrote this blog entry on Sept. 1, 2009, the day after he was released from Mayo Clinic – St. Marys Hospital following minimally invasive heart surgery to repair his mitral valve. This is the final post in a series of four. My wife and I flew in on Aug. 26, 2009, for my pre-op tests on Thursday, Aug. 27, and meeting with Dr. Suri. My pre-op was simple. A quick chest Xray and an electrocardiogram...boom...we were done by 10 a.m. We met with Dr. Suri and Nurse Practioner Erika Halverson at 1 p.m. The meeting was a brief 10 minutes, mostly for my wife to ask questions, because I was already past my questions. Dr. Suri left while my wife and I spoke with Erika. He knocked about five minutes later and asked if I wanted to meet someone who had the procedure done a year prior....of course I would...so he introduced me to a gentleman and his wife who appeared to be in their mid to late forties. I basically asked him the same questions I asked the other robotic patients I had spoken to, and got all the answers I expected. My mother arrived that evening. She insisted on being there during the surgery, which I was fine with, until I saw her for the first time Thursday evening. She walked into my hotel room and immediately started sobbing. My wife nor I couldn't understand a word she was saying, but as parents we understood what she was going through. I started crying, too. Even as a grown man, I can't stand to see my mother cry. My mother and I hugged for several minutes, she got a hold of herself, and the three of us went out for a nice dinner downtown. I didn't talk much. I let the two of them carry the conversation. I was obviously preoccupied.

Darrin Nelson of Rochester, NY, wrote this blog entry on Sept. 1, 2009, the day after he was released from Mayo Clinic – St. Marys Hospital following minimally invasive heart surgery to repair his mitral valve. This is the third post in a series of four. Check back Friday for the next installment. OK, now I had to understand if I was a candidate for minimally invasive mitral valve repair. I made an appointment for May and flew out to have some additional tests done and meet with Dr. Suri. I had a chest X-Ray and a CT scan. I met with Dr. Suri and noticed a few things right away: 1) He was younger than I expected, maybe in his late 30s or early 40s, 2) He was well dressed, wearing a suit similar to one of mine that had the Bill Maher sort of shimmer to it, and 3) He oozed confidence. As I questioned him about his technique, his success rate, and his approach, it almost appeared like he felt a little insulted that I was not as confident as he was in what he was offering. I walked out of this meeting intrigued, impressed, and slightly skeptical. As an analytic, I believe if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. I let Dr Suri know that I wanted to think this over and consider my options and I'd get back to him. I asked him two things: 1) How long of a lead time do you need to schedule robotically assisted surgery? He answered 60 days or so, while he runs the robot, he also has another cardiac surgeon in the room assisting. 2) How can I confirm that my insurance company will cover this technique? They had covered all of my previous tests, but I wanted to be sure that I wasn't going to be whacked with some seven digit bill. He put me in contact with their back office and told me they could provide the procedure codes so I could obtain pre-approval from my insurance company.

Darrin Nelson of Rochester, NY, wrote this blog entry on Sept. 1, 2009, the day after he was released from Mayo Clinic – St. Marys Hospital following minimally invasive heart surgery to repair his mitral valve. This is the second post in a series of four. Check back Wednesday for the next installment. Coming from Rochester, N.Y., I expected Rochester, Minn., to resemble my hometown. Growing up in New York’s Hudson Valley, a stone’s throw from New York City, I always felt a bit of compromise and simplification by now living in Rochester, N.Y., perceiving it to be a small community. The people are very friendly in Rochester, N.Y., and aside from the name, that is probably where the similarities stop. The greater Rochester, Minn. population is about 1/10 that of Rochester, N.Y. The airport is set amongst farms and is a short 10-15 minute cab ride from downtown. Mayo Clinic is composed of buildings (hospitals and administrative) downtown with a few exceptions. For example, St. Marys Hospital, where I had my surgery, is a mile from this downtown cluster. There are hotels all around and shuttle services run between the hotels, Mayo facilities, and the airport. There is even an underground walkway called the “subway.” With 38,000 employees, Mayo Clinic is Rochester, Minn.'s largest employer, and it's clear that most people around town respect and appreciate the importance of the facility.

Darrin Nelson of Rochester, NY, wrote this blog entry on Sept. 1, 2009, the day after he was released from Mayo Clinic – St. Marys Hospital following minimally invasive heart surgery to repair his mitral valve. This is the first post in a series of four.  As a very active 44 year old male, I am extremely surprised to be writing this for many reasons. I'm actually sitting across the street from the Courtyard Marriot in a little park in front of Saint Marys Hospital, which is affiliated with the Mayo Clinic, on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009. You see, I was discharged from Saint Marys Hospital last night about 7 p.m., exactly 72.5 hours after having Dr. Rakesh Suri perform a successful minimally invasive, robotic mitral valve repair on me. It's partly sunny here and in the mid 70s, certainly not the nicest day I've experienced, but is definitely one of the most beautiful days I've been able to enjoy, with a mitral valve that doesn't leak anymore. This is my story. Happily married to a Sicilian for 19 years with almost 300 of her closest relatives living nearby, my friends and family are not surprised why I call Rochester, N.Y., my home. But when I broke the news to them that I was going to need heart surgery, they were all blown away. I have devoted much of my life to healthy living and nobody would have expected that I would have to endure this challenge, including me.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men and is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. The American Cancer Society ...

Mayo Clinic recently received a Corporate Plus award from INROADS’ Minneapolis-Saint Paul affiliate for its commitment and partnership with the national internship organization. INROADS helps ...

Syndicated columnist and radio host Garrison Keillor shares his story of a recent stroke in his Chicago Tribune column, published today: The doctor who saw me ...

After seeing numerous medical professionals in her hometown for a stabbing pain in her face, Amy Abts was referred to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. ...

Linda Rockey's first experience at Mayo Clinic was in 1971, when her grandmother insisted that she come to Mayo Clinic for treatment of her worsening ...