Get inspired by these true testimonials of heart health! These women have overcome odds to change their lives and conquer cardiovascular disease.
When a Doctor Needs Heart Care
New Mexico’s Elizabeth Cumby, M.D., says the Cleveland Clinic Heart and Vascular Institute was “the best choice.”
Her disease had no obvious symptoms. Elizabeth Cumby, 48, was able to fly an airplane, ski, snowboard and care for her family. She had no trouble caring for her patients at a New Mexico pueblo reservation, where she has practiced as a family physician for 15 years. But Dr. Cumby’s heart was hiding a secret: An unusual valve disease called myxomatus degeneration, which, if left untreated, could lead to congestive heart failure and death.
Dr. Cumby would never have learned of the worsening of her condition, if she hadn’t needed to take a routine physical for her pilot’s license. The examining physician had some concerns about the sound of her heart, and sent her to a cardiologist who diagnosed severe regurgitation due to myxomatus degeneration. The condition is hereditary, and it turned out that Dr. Cumby had inherited it from her father, who had died of complications from the illness.
Dr. Cumby learned that the usual treatment for myxomatus degeneration is open heart surgery to replace the defective valve - either with a pig valve, or mechanical valve. The pig valve would have to be replaced very ten years, and the mechanical valve would require taking blood thinners for the rest of her life.
In March, 2001, Dr. Cumby saw a local cardiovascular surgeon, who confirmed the diagnosis, and said the valve needed to be replaced within six months.
As a doctor herself Dr. Cumby knew that choosing the doctor and hospital for her treatment was a crucial decision. Not all doctors and hospitals are alike. She asked questions and did research before making her choice. A cardiovascular surgeon friend told her that if she needed a valve procedure, she needed to see Delos T. Cosgrove, M.D., at The Cleveland Clinic Heart and Vascular Institute. Dr. Cosgrove is widely recognized as the world’s leading expert on valve surgery.
“It was clear to me that the Cleveland Clinic was the best choice,” says Dr. Cumby.
It is a fact that many physicians who have heart disease choose to come to the Cleveland Clinic and Vascular Institute Center for their care. Doctors know that the Cleveland Clinic Heart and Vascular Institute’s vast experience in all areas of heart care can be a factor affecting the quality of their outcomes.
Dr. Cumby traveled to Cleveland, where she was able to stay at one of the Cleveland Clinic’s own on-campus hotels.
“Dr. Cosgrove is world famous and obviously very busy,” says Dr. Cumby. “But when I had my pre-op interview with him, he appeared to have all the time in the world to answer my questions. He’s very personable.”
During open heart surgery, Dr. Cosgrove performed a valvuloplasty, a procedure which he pioneered, that allows him to repair rather than replace certain diseased heart valves. He also installed a Cosgrove-Edwards band, a device he developed to reshape the annulus, the ring of fibrous tissue that gives a valve its structural integrity.
“The people at the Clinic were very nice,” Dr. Cumby recalls. “When I was in the hospital, everyone knocked on the door and introduced themselves, even the person delivering the food. While I was in intensive care, the nursing staff made sure that someone sat by my bed the entire night.
“I appreciated the convenience of the on campus hotels during my stay in cleveland.”
Today, Dr. Cumby is feeling better than ever. Her stamina is back to normal and she will probably need no further surgical treatment for her condition. “I always value the experience of being a patient myself,” says Dr. Cumby, “it deepens my sense of empathy.”
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