网曝门事件

When Dr. Raymond Tricker says heart valve surgery was the most frightening thing he鈥檇 faced in his life, he means a level of anxiety most of us can鈥檛 imagine. That鈥檚 because his previous scariest experience came during World War II.

Ray was just a boy when German bombers dropped V-1 bombs on his neighborhood in the United Kingdom. Most of his friends were killed in the street outside. Ray and his mother were buried as their home was reduced to rubble.

Frightening as that was, Ray says it doesn鈥檛 compare to the fear he felt when he realized he needed heart valve surgery. 鈥淭hat was the most traumatic thing I鈥檇 ever had in my life, but compared to this 鈥� I think this is the most traumatic,鈥� Ray explains.

A former gymnast and an avid endurance athlete, Ray didn鈥檛 seem like someone who might have heart trouble. But despite being in great physical shape, he was diagnosed with mitral insufficiency. One of the valves wasn鈥檛 closing completely when his heart pumped blood.

鈥淢y heart was very strong and compensating for it, but it was a matter of time until it couldn鈥檛 continue to take the load,鈥� Ray explains. But facing heart surgery raised in him fear he鈥檇 never known.

Channeling his fear

As a professor emeritus of public health at Oregon State University, Dr. Tricker was well-experienced in research. He turned that passion to learning about his condition and how best to treat it.

He soon realized minimally invasive robotic-assistant surgery was the best choice for him. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to be laid up for six weeks, barely able to move,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hen I came across Dr. Molloy.鈥�

Northwest Heart & Vascular鈥檚 Dr. Thomas Molloy, MD, had performed thousands of heart valve surgeries. His experience impressed Ray, who scheduled a visit with Dr. Molloy.

鈥淚鈥檓 detailed-oriented, and I wanted some answers to my detailed questions,鈥� Ray recalls. 鈥淒r. Molloy quietly sat there and listened. I could tell he was listening very carefully. He was so calm and so thoughtful.鈥�
Dr. Molloy explained the flow of blood backward to the other chamber was really significant. He wanted to help Ray avoid congestive heart failure, which he predicted was likely within five years based on the severity of the leak 鈥淚t was a matter of time until my heart couldn鈥檛 continue taking the load,鈥� Ray says.

Ray had many questions, but Dr. Molloy was happy to work through all of them 鈥淣ever did I ever feel I was wasting anyone鈥檚 time,鈥� Ray says. Though he was really scared, Ray knew he needed to listen to Dr. Molloy鈥檚 advice to move forward with surgery.

Anxiety relieved

With visions of the surgical robot in his head, Ray arrived at 网曝门事件 Health Portland for his valve repair surgery. His mind was whirling with fear.

Then he walked in and was immediately in the care of Northwest Regional Heart & Vascular nursing staff. 鈥淭he nursing staff are fabulous,鈥� he says. As the staff prepped him for surgery, he found they were supportive, positive and caring.

鈥淚 found myself getting relaxed at last,鈥� Ray says. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really care anymore.鈥�
Ray鈥檚 surgery with Dr. Molloy was a success. 鈥淚 woke up. I felt no pain. I didn鈥檛 feel anxious or unhappy,鈥� Ray remembers.

Better than imagined

But that was only the start of Ray鈥檚 good news. The day after surgery, he was able to do some light exercise. In just three days, he left the hospital and headed home.

Before the surgery, Ray didn鈥檛 think he felt restricted by his mitral insufficiency. But as he quickly returned to cycling and rowing, he noticed a positive difference. 鈥淚 can tell a difference in terms of smoothness and feeling of ease when I work out,鈥� he explains. 鈥淚 notice a certain ease in the way I move around, how easy things are to do.鈥�

Just a month after facing the most traumatic experience of his life, Ray is back to being the endurance athlete he enjoys being. 鈥淚 just feel so strong,鈥� he says.

An incredible journey

Ray is glad he took the time to do research and find Northwest Heart & Vascular. 鈥淪omething deep inside me said, if you wait, it鈥檒l be OK,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淎nd it was. Along comes Dr. Molloy with this wonderful technology. I chose it because it felt right.鈥�

Today, Ray wants other heart patients to know they have the same choice. 鈥淭hey have options,鈥� he says. 鈥淏y virtue of my training in public health, I鈥檓 a strong advocate of that.鈥�

He hopes others will find Dr. Molloy and have the same great experience, even if they鈥檙e worried. 鈥淭his is the major experience of my life,鈥� Ray admits. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been an incredible journey.鈥�