John Heinze

Photo courtesy of John Heinze

One photograph in the office of Carole Warnes, M.D., is of John Heinze, 38, a computer programmer from St. Louis. Pictured atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia, Heinze is secured with safety cables to the world's largest steel-arch bridge. There is a big smile on his face as he stands nearly 440 feet above the water.

Heinze says doctors "heard something" in his heart when he was born in 1964. But he wasn't diagnosed with Ebstein's anomaly, a defect in the tricuspid valve of the heart, until he was 18. Eventually, his physician suggested he might need surgery to correct the defect.

Heinze did not want to watch his health deteriorate. He was beginning to experience a decline in his stamina, feeling fatigued and short of breath. He was not able to exercise and push his body the way he wanted. As Heinze researched his options on the Internet, he came across Mayo Clinic and learned of its reputation for work with adult congenital heart disease. Mayo is one of the leading centers in the United States.

After being seen by physicians at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, he opted for surgery and underwent the procedure in June 2001. His operation involved closing a hole in the top chambers of his heart (an atrial septal defect) and a repair of his malformed tricuspid valve on the right side of the heart. This valve was leaking severely, and the right side of his heart was enlarging. Gordon Danielson, M.D., performed the surgery. Dr. Danielson helped pioneer this surgical repair. The repair meant Heinze did not need to have his valve replaced.

"Everything was fantastic," Heinze says. "Every part of my experience was great."

Heinze says Mayo physicians also worked with his after-care specialists to guide his rehabilitation. And he has felt good. To show it, he took a two-week vacation to Australia last year — when he had the picture taken and sent it to Dr. Warnes.