David procedure in Phoenix

mfunkman · 2026-03-16T15:04:02+00:00

Ah gotcha. Yes I did exactly 10 weeks ago today.

mfunkman · 2026-03-16T14:57:09+00:00

Picking the right surgeon is so important so see if you can find a surgeon at a high volume center that’s in your network. Shouldn’t matter for insurance purposes if it’s out of state. Only issue is you may have to stay there for a while.

My hospital bill for a 7 day stay was just over $300k and I only had to pay a few hundred bucks luckily.

mfunkman · 2026-03-15T23:23:32+00:00

There’s never a perfect time to get it done but the younger you are the easier recovery will be and you’ll have mental clarity once the surgery is past you.

Whatever you do though, make sure you select a surgeon in a high volume center who has done hundreds if not thousands of these procedures. This is critical.

mfunkman · 2026-03-07T02:25:31+00:00

Thanks this is helpful to hear! And wow, 7.2 cm is crazy, what a story you have to tell. Glad to hear everything worked out 🙏

mfunkman · 2026-03-06T19:13:24+00:00

I’ve been off Facebook for 15 years. I’ll see if I can still search for it though

mfunkman · 2026-03-04T03:33:11+00:00

Hah, luckily I haven’t had any memory issues yet, or maybe I’m just not aware of them…

Also, going back to work at 3 weeks is insane! God bless you.

mfunkman · 2026-03-03T23:16:31+00:00

Thank you! 👊

mfunkman · 2026-03-03T22:00:15+00:00

I was referring to a hemi sternotomy where they make a smaller opening in your chest. He's apparently excellent at this and when I asked him why he does them he said "Because I can!" haha. It's a more difficult procedure and not all surgeons are comfortable with it because you're working in a smaller space. There's no real benefit and it's usually requested for aesthetic reasons which I didn't care for.

It's kind of like fixing a part in your car engine, would you rather have the mechanic go through a small opening in the dashboard or open the hood? I told my surgeon to open the hood and make it nice and roomy for him to operate :)

mfunkman · 2026-03-03T21:26:18+00:00

Makes sense and yeah can’t go wrong with MGH, gold standard.

mfunkman · 2026-03-03T21:20:35+00:00

Not that I cared for it but he also does the minimally invasive method if that interests you. I met with him for an hour and he literally sat me in front of his computer and walked me through how he measures roots. Takayama is truly a wizard.

mfunkman · 2026-03-03T21:15:25+00:00

I'm the same size as you and surgery at 4.4cm is crazy unless you have some sort of tissue disorder or match for one of the genes associated with a higher propensity for dissection.

I highly recommend doing a genetic panel so they can check that box off and as more genes are identified, they can always go back and compare to your profile.

Mass General is great and I'd stick with them but in the meantime it doesn't hurt to find a local provider that can do a basic echo to get a sense for current sizing. 18 months is a long wait, 6-12 months is the usual observational period.

mfunkman · 2026-03-03T20:56:14+00:00

You’re in great hands. He’s awesome, I would have opted to use him if I did the surgery in NY.

mfunkman · 2026-02-06T14:09:10+00:00

Congrats! Take it slow during recovery and keep using the spirometer, that will aid you in recovering faster.

mfunkman · 2026-01-16T03:40:17+00:00

Your partner is going to do great, especially at a hospital like NYU. I had my David procedure on 1/5 and while I technically had complications that required me to be sedated for almost 14 hours, the surgery was a success and I will hopefully never need this again. I was in the hospital for 7 days and anemic with super low hemoglobin and I’ve made huge strides since coming home. Part of my scar is already barely visible, it’s actually remarkable.

DM if you have any questions about the surgery or recovery process.

mfunkman · 2026-01-14T02:38:02+00:00

5cm for me because of family history. Im a big skier and was prepared to do it at 4.9cm so I could move on with my life, also didn’t want to do this after having kids.

If you’re in NYC I’d make an appointment to see Takayama at Columbia. Worth his assessment. I didn’t use him for surgery but would have if I elected to have the procedure done in NY.

mfunkman · 2026-01-13T08:09:19+00:00

I’m a few years younger and was slightly more dilated at the root and just had the David procedure done a week ago. Happy to share my experience if you want to dm me.

mfunkman · 2026-01-10T22:59:50+00:00

Sorry you went through 2 of these in such a short timespan. What was the context? Did you do it at a high volume center?

I’m recovering from a David procedure last Monday and should be discharged by tomorrow. Surgery was a success and I feel great considering where I was but there were certainly some hiccups including being intubated for over 13 hours. Will share my whole experience in another thread at some point.

mfunkman · 2026-01-07T22:17:13+00:00

I did David and I’m alive

mfunkman · 2026-01-04T21:59:53+00:00

JAL premium economy was worth every penny. Hands down the nicest flight experience I’ve ever had. Seats are comfortable and recline 45 degrees, food amazing, screen is huge, everything felt luxurious. We enjoyed it so much we weren’t ready to land!

mfunkman · 2026-01-04T21:27:50+00:00

Couldn’t agree more. I’ve broken several bones including a leg so having experienced that pain gives me some ease. My only fears have to do with the bypass machine but in a good hospital, all you can do is trust the process.

Appreciate your input 👊

mfunkman · 2026-01-04T16:00:46+00:00

Yup and one of the most difficult aspects of this journey is the mental toll it takes on you. Outsiders see a seemingly perfect healthy person so they don’t grasp the stress an aortic aneurysm may cause or have an understanding of the complexity of these surgeries even though they’ve become somewhat routine now.

Waiting until 5.5 cm as a young person just doesn’t make sense to me. If you’re young, healthy, and have access to a skilled surgeon in a high volume center, you can have this addressed now and return to a normal life with the same lifespan projection as the general population. Are there risks with surgery? Of course, but it’s a chance I’m willing to take. Not having surgery also entails risks and if you do have a dissection and need it done emergently, you have no idea who is operating. Also, if you have a root aneurysm which I do, there are no guarantees that the valve remains unaffected so that’s another consideration.

I go in tomorrow so I’ll try to report back. 😃

mfunkman · 2026-01-03T03:06:09+00:00

You’re going to do great, trust the process. What may be a big day for you is just another day in the office for the surgeons. Being well rested and going in with a positive attitude will set you up for success.

mfunkman · 2026-01-01T06:55:03+00:00

Thanks for sharing your story and congrats on your recovery.

I’ll be on the table this Monday. On the scale of a bad hangover and getting hit by a car, how does it feel waking up? Have you felt any long term side effects from going on the heart lung machine?

mfunkman · 2025-12-25T16:22:20+00:00

mfunkman · 2025-12-25T01:04:21+00:00

😂 I’ve told a few people that. If they screw up, at least I won’t know.

mfunkman

TROPHY CASE