New Jersey dad back to active lifestyle after "musical chairs of the heart" surgery in Philadelphia

A surgery often described as "musical chairs of the heart" is gaining popularity among a certain group of patients. It's happening in Philadelphia at Jefferson Health.

The surgery known as the Ross procedure is an alternative to traditional aortic valve replacement surgery, which leaves patients with a variety of restrictions and medications after the operation.

Former bodybuilder Jeremy Braud was back in the gym 12 weeks after having the major open-heart surgery. 

"The surgery in itself lasted nearly 12 hours … they had found some additional complications," Braud said.

The 46-year-old Princeton, New Jersey, dad was born with a defective aortic valve and had two heart surgeries as a child. That valve needed to be replaced. 

For that, Braud turned to Dr. Joseph Bavaria, the chair of cardiac surgery at Jefferson Health.

For valve replacement patients like Braud, who are young and healthy, Bavaria does the Ross procedure in which the aortic valve is replaced with the pulmonary valve. Then, a new pulmonary valve comes from a cadaver. 

"The beautiful thing about the Ross is that it turns you back into absolutely normal physiology," Bavaria said. 

He explained that unlike traditional heart valve replacement surgery, following the Ross procedure, there are no restrictions or necessary medications. 

"The Ross concept, which is a beautiful, elegant concept, is you have your own living valve in the most important position … and you have no restrictions at all. OK, you can run a marathon, you can go up Kilimanjaro, whatever you want to do," Bavaria said.

That's why Braud said it was an easy decision to have the surgery. 

"The procedure that I had was certainly a lot more complex and came with more risks than a basic mechanical valve replacement, but the importance of being able to live a totally normal lifestyle with no restrictions far outweighed that," he said.

Bavaria said the Ross procedure has evolved and is now recommended for patients under the age of 50. 

"The science behind the procedure, the results are so positive, so strong that it is in the guidelines," Bavaria said.

The operation has given Braud the life he always dreamed of. Seven months after the surgery, he said he's feeling great and is back to his busy life.