Shelia had already been diagnosed with a heart murmur in her mid-twenties and was monitored on an annual basis for a few years. She was experiencing shortness of breath when walking up hills, the stairs at home and out and about, bending over to pick up laundry etc. During a holiday to Corfu in the summer of 2017 her feet and ankles swelled in the heat. This is what prompted her to see her doctor who ordered an echocardiogram which revealed a deterioration in the function of the Mitral Valve; hence the symptoms.
Mr Deshpande performed a minimal access endoscopic mitral valve repair on Sheila.
In her own words: “The care was excellent. Mr Deshpande, in all consultations and meetings, was very careful to explain each stage of the treatment / surgery. Despite feeling anxious he did everything he could to allay all fears and concerns for both myself and my husband. All questions, however small, were answered comprehensively with all medical terminology explained. Further, as it was unknown whether the Mitral Valve surgery would be sufficient to repair the damage or a new valve would be needed; this too, was explained fully should the procedure be required and how this might affect recovery.
My husband was particularly gratefully for the length of time Mr Deshpande spent with him explaining what had happened during the surgery and how well it went and what to expect regarding immediate post-operative care. He was very kind, considerate and caring, recognising and addressing the level of anxiety my husband was experiencing and doing his very best to address this in a very reassuring manner. Mr Deshpande was equally caring and responsive to questions during post-operative care ensuring that my husband and I were kept fully informed of progress. He went out of his way to ensure I was comfortable and felt safe.
I have no hesitation in recommending Mr Deshpande to friends and family. I have great confidence in the treatment I received from Mr Deshpande’s practice. I no longer suffer from swollen ankles/feet. However, I still find myself breathless walking up hills etc but think this may well be a psychological issue rather than being attributed to any physical problems related to the heart condition. I think it is important to recognise in some cases anxiety regarding heart surgery takes longer to recover from than the surgery, simply because it is the heart!”
