Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Our Services >
  • Heart & Vascular >
  • ... >
  • About Us >
  • Patient Stories >
  • Heart Valve Disease >
  • Julie W
Heart & Vascular
About Us
Awards & Recognition
Your Care Team
Classes, Events, & News
Giving
Patient Stories
Heart Disease
Heart Rhythm Disorder
Heart Transplant
Heart Valve Disease
Pulmonary Hypertension
Vascular Conditions
Ventricular Assist Device (VAD)
Conditions We Treat
Our Services
For Patients
For Professionals & Students
Our Locations
Contact Us
Heart & Vascular
About Us
Awards & Recognition
Your Care Team
Classes, Events, & News
Giving
Patient Stories
Heart Disease
Heart Rhythm Disorder
Heart Transplant
Heart Valve Disease
Pulmonary Hypertension
Vascular Conditions
Ventricular Assist Device (VAD)
Conditions We Treat
Our Services
For Patients
For Professionals & Students
Our Locations
Contact Us

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE

Julie – Bicuspid Aortic Valve

Julie was born with a bicuspid aortic valve, a congenital heart defect where the heart’s aortic valve has only two leaflets instead of three. She would need open heart surgery to repair her condition. Read her story.

Julie was born with a bicuspid aortic valve, a congenital heart defect where the heart’s aortic valve has only two leaflets instead of three. She and her family knew that one day, Julie would need open heart surgery to repair her condition. Julie regularly saw a pediatric cardiologist to monitor her health until transitioning to an adult cardiologist.

Julie stayed active throughout her adult years. She worked as a nurse at UPMC Presbyterian for more than 10 years, she is physically active, and is involved coaching sports for her two daughters. During a regular visit with her cardiologist, Saul Silver, MD, a routine echocardiogram showed that Julie had severe aortic stenosis, the narrowing of the heart’s aortic valve.

“At this point, I was relatively asymptomatic,” says Julie. “When the results showed that my condition was severe, I wanted to be my own advocate. I began researching and evaluating different centers for care.”

Julie needed an aortic valve replacement, where the diseased or damaged aortic valve is replaced with a new, mechanical one. She had been in contact with a surgeon at another center and was on the verge of getting care elsewhere.

“That’s when I was contacted by the Cardiothoracic Department at UPMC,” says Julie. “I spoke with Dr. Sultan on a virtual visit and I immediately felt a comfort with him. He was great.”

Ibrahim Sultan, MD, is the chief of the Division of Cardiac Surgery, executive vice chair of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, and co-director of the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute. He is also the co-director of the UPMC Center for Aortic Disease, a unique program that brings together experts across multiple disciplines to care for patients with aortic disease.

“After speaking with Dr. Sultan, I took 24 hours to think about my decision. I called him back the next day to let him know that I would be moving forward with the team at UPMC.”

A few weeks before the surgery, Julie and her husband took a trip to UPMC to meet with Dr. Sultan.

“When I met Dr. Sultan in person, I immediately knew that I made the right decision,” says Julie. “We felt at ease with him. Dr. Sultan was professional and comforting at the same time.”

On Sept. 15, Julie underwent aortic valve replacement at UPMC. The procedure went well, and Julie spent the next few days resting and recovering at the hospital.

“My daughters came to see me at the hospital a few days after my surgery. On day four, I was able to go home,” Julie said. “I was amazed that by the end of the first week, I was back to about 60%. There were some challenges to get used to with this new valve, but I had a great recovery.”

Julie saw Dr. Sultan at five weeks post-operation. She was cleared to go back to her normal lifestyle.

“I was back to walking and exercising and felt great,” says Julie.

Julie regularly sees Dr. Silver to closely monitor her condition. She’s back to her active lifestyle, coaching soccer and basketball, working full time, and keeping up with her two daughters.

“I knew that at some point in my life, I would need open heart surgery,” says Julie. “I wanted to make sure that I had all the information to make the best decision possible. It’s important to take a step back and do your research. I owe my life to Dr. Sultan and the team at UPMC.”

Julie’s treatment and results may not be representative of similar cases.

UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login