Andrea's heart valve replacement

"I was suffering from severe heart valve leakage and regurgitation. I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without feeling fatigued and my local doctors were prepared to conduct heart valve replacement surgery and did not see any imminent danger. The heart valve replacement would unfortunately eliminate the possibility of my ever having children again. Thanks to Best Doctors, I was given access to the leading cardiologist in Baltimore, who reviewed my case and detected that my leakage posed a more serious situation and I required a more immediate surgical intervention. However, his expertise enabled him to repair my heart valve as opposed to replacing it. Today, I am perfectly healthy, can exercise, and have given birth to twins! Thanks Best Doctors!"
--Andrea M.

Sara's vision loss

At age 32 Sara lost her vision. This came as a shock as Sara was a very healthy young woman. However, an MRI showed an aggressively growing mass in the area of her brain that controlled her vision. The recommended treatment was high-risk brain surgery to remove the growth. Sara and her family were extremely nervous about this invasive procedure, as the outcome was uncertain. They were also nervous about the possibility of this growth being cancerous and spreading throughout Sara's brain.

Sara called Best Doctors and was introduced to Donna, her own personal advocate. Donna collected all the medical information from Sara and her doctor. He told Sara that the Best Doctors roundtable of experts would review her case and send Sara and her doctor a written report within a few days.

Best Doctors got back to Sara and her doctor with an unusual finding -- one that changed Sara's life.

After reviewing Sara's case with some of the most prominent neurosurgeons in the world, Best Doctors concluded that the mass in Sara's brain could be the result of an unusual inflammatory disease that in rare cases can be confused with a tumour. The normal treatment for this disease is a series of medications, given over a specific period of time. The advice from Best Doctors was to first rule out the possibility of this disease before proceeding with the brain surgery.

Sara and her doctor agreed and she started taking the medications. Within a few days, her vision began to improve, and within a couple of months, she could see again.

Sara knew that in order to make the most important medical decision of her life she needed the best medical knowledge. Best Doctors connected Sara to the best medical knowledge, providing her information when it mattered most.

Thomas vs Cancer

At age 54, Thomas started experiencing difficulty with urination. As his condition became progressively worse, he consulted his doctor three months after the first symptoms. Initial tests showed an elevated PSA [prostate specific antigen], so a biopsy was recommended. The biopsy results showed that he was suffering from benign prostate hypertrophy -- an enlargement of the prostate. The doctors began Thomas's medications to help his bladder relax and improve the urinary problems, but Thomas' symptoms did not improve, and his PSA continued to increase. This was obviously a concern to both Thomas and his treating physician who was uncertain as to the next step.

Thomas turned to Best Doctors, as he wanted the best medical guidance to help him and his treating physician determine a viable treatment option.

A Best Doctors personal advocate collected the necessary medical information and informed Thomas that experts in prostate pathology would review the case and provide him and his doctor with a written report within a few days.

The experts suggested that the initial pathology reading may have been incorrect and that Thomas had cancer instead of benign prostate hypertrophy. After reviewing the expert's report, Thomas' doctor agreed with the finding.

Best Doctors recommended that Thomas and his doctor consider medical tests to find out the nature of the cancer. The tests revealed some good news: the cancer was confined to the prostate.

Thomas decided to undergo a surgical procedure called radical prostatectomy. Thomas' own doctor performed the procedure successfully and the cancer was completely removed.

Thanks to Best Doctors services and the immediate access to world-class medical experts for their second opinion which resulted in this life saving procedure.

Last Update: 02.12.2004