David, a retired pathologist from New Hampshire was treated at Brigham and Women’s Hospital for mitral valve prolapse, a dangerous deterioration of one of the valves in his heart.
“I had been treated for a heart-valve condition about 10 years ago,” says David. “But I’m a runner, and I was in great shape. So I continued running until the day I was so exhausted I knew something was very wrong. Frankly, I was scared. I asked my doctor who’s the best for my problem, and he said Larry Cohn at Brigham and Women’s.”
Dr. Cohn is one of a very few cardiac surgeons who can actually repair malfunctioning heart valves. This delicate procedure is quite different from valve replacement, and saves the patient from having to take certain medications after surgery.
David’s heart surgery was a complete success and about a year later he received a follow-up survey from Dr. Cohn. David had just completed his first-ever Triathlon, so instead of filling out the survey, he sent along a Triathlon T-shirt with one word written on it: “THANKS!”
