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Heinz Untiedt
Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Heinz Peter Untiedt suffered from a serious bout of rheumatic fever when he was 12 years old. In 1960, he immigrated to the United States where he attended the University of Rochester in New York. As a graduate student, Heinz began experiencing severe shortness of breath. He went to the Student Health Services and was diagnosed with aortic valve regurgitation. Apprehensive about having surgery, Heinz waited to pursue treatment. However, in 1976, six years after his original diagnosis, Heinz learned that his aortic valve had severely deteriorated and only had about 30% functionality.
Only 30 years old and already taking a lot of medication, Heinz had no other options left except valve replacement surgery. He chose the Starr-Edwards valve over a porcine valve because he was told that it was the best choice due to his young age. He researched his options for the surgery and decided to have his procedure performed at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
After consulting with several surgeons, Heinz chose Dr. Scott Stewart, a pediatric cardiovascular surgeon. Dr. Stewart had operated on a friend’s child, and Heinz felt comfortable that a surgeon who was careful enough to work on children would be good for him. He was Dr. Stewart’s first adult patient.
After a lengthy stay in the hospital, Heinz recovered quickly and was excited to ride his bicycle, play soccer, and walk up hills! Nearly 30 years later, Heinz claims, “I still have the original valve!”
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