Patient Stories

Jodene Moore

With a father who traveled constantly, Jodene Moore remembers her childhood in Osceola, Wisc., as one that was heavily defined by her father's strength and humor, as well as her school principal's determination. "They both helped to shape who I've become," Jodene recalls.

"To this day, I send my principal thank you cards. He recognized that I wasn't the best student, and he called every morning to make sure I got up and out the door. He never gave up on me." Upon graduation from high school, Jodene began coursework at a local college to prepare her for future enrollment in a nursing program. Busy caring for her then two-year-old son, she simply wasn't ready to pursue her degree. When circumstances in her life changed nearly a decade later, Jodene made the decision to return to school. "Education is terribly important," says Jodene, a single mother of three and a full-time college student. "Becoming a nurse will allow me to have a career that is stable and flexible while allowing me to serve a good cause."

It was not long after Jodene returned to school that she began to notice slight changes in her health, such as shortness of breath, fatigue, and dizziness. With a demanding schedule, she was able to account for her health's decline. "At that time, two of my children were still very young. I attributed my shortness of breath and exhaustion to being out of shape and chasing after my kids," Jodene says. It was while she was being prepared for an unrelated surgical procedure, however, that a heart abnormality — later to be diagnosed as mitral valve prolapse — was detected. "When you're young, you don't think this can happen to you," says Jodene, who was 32 at the time of her diagnosis. Her search for a second opinion led her to Bernard Villegas, M.D., a cardiologist with the Scottsdale Heart Group. During their first appointment, Dr. Villegas strongly urged her to speak with his colleague, Dr. Joseph Auteri, who was conducting research on a minimally invasive approach to mitral valve repair. "Dr. Villegas was very thorough in explaining my condition — and my options — to me. I was intrigued by the da Vinci Surgical System and immediately scheduled an appointment with Dr. Auteri."

With little spare time and unable to miss classes, Jodene requested to have heart surgery during spring break in March 2003. "Dr. Auteri was very flexible and made accommodations to fit my schedule," says Jodene, who made history as the first patient in Arizona to undergo robotic mitral valve surgery. "I feel that I'm very fortunate," she says. "If I had opted to have heart surgery when I first learned of my condition, the da Vinci Surgical System would not have been an option." The da Vinci Surgical System received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to perform mitral valve surgery only weeks prior to Jodene's procedure.

Jodene, who had never been a patient at Scottsdale Healthcare, was impressed with the facility and with Dr. Auteri, whom she describes as a wonderful person and a phenomenal surgeon. "He took the time to explain everything that was happening to me in detail," says Jodene. "He's knowledgeable about the advancements being made in the field, and having the option of robotic surgery, especially for someone my age, was fantastic."

Today, Jodene has an entirely new perspective on life — and on her health — and is thankful for the surgical procedure that led to her mitral valve prolapse diagnosis. "I could have lived for years without ever knowing I had it," she says. "Thankfully, I found the da Vinci Surgical System and Dr. Auteri — they saved my life."

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