Hi Kenneth...
For what it's worth...we were specifically referred to Dr. Schaff because he has a special interest in CP. We looked him up and he's published a lot on the subject. The most telling was comments from the nurses when they heard who was doing the surgery in the weeks leading up to surgery...comments like "he's the best" "you got the best" "he's done the most of those" etc. It all brought me comfort. We also know a Physician's Assistant here who worked with him and he said that "people step aside when he walks down the hall...like he's Moses parting the water" and he always has 30 students with him. Anyway...trivial comments but when they all added up they made me feel better :) I saw him the day before surgery and the day of surgery...in ICU...but after that his lead MD handled my care. I wish I could have seen him more. The nurses said he had monitors at his house to watch his patients vitals...not sure if that's true but...still made me feel better that he "might" be that dedicated :)
Anyway, sorry to ramble...but he was very good and I had a great result if that makes you feel better :)
One of the "fun" things about the cardiac wing...it is almost all "young" people and we were all constantly walking laps around the unit...cheering each other on. It was kind of neat.
Hope that helps...glad you changed the date...we did the same thing for the same reason over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2004...
God Bless you...soon you'll have your life back! It will be so great for you to be on the other side of all of this! You have to post here so we know how Elvina is doing...
One other thing that was a huge blessing for hy husband...during surgery...they have patient representatives that run back and forth between surgery and the waiting room....giving details to the family. That made the wait a little better I think. I had to go on bypass so he was told right when that happened....and right when I got off. This person was the last person I talked to before they knocked my out...she was on the phone to the waiting room talking to my husband...and said "your husband says he loves you". It was really nice...a comfort.
Any other details you want from that particular hospital, I'm happy to share. I found details comforting before surgery...
Take care...I'll be in touch...Nan