Review Detail

My name is Christine and I am 44 years old. Dr Jaroszewski performed a modified Nuss procedure to fix me on February 19, 2021 and I am currently almost 2 months post-surgery. She is the only reason I am here today.

I cannot say enough good things about Dr Dawn Jaroszewski and her team at the Mayo Clinic. I did not present with “classic” pectus excavatum (PE) symptoms and appeared largely normal from the exterior if you did not know what to look for. After being diagnosed with severe PE through a cardiac MRI, I reached out to the Mayo Clinic to get an appointment with Dr Jaroszewski and sent all of my image data and relevant lab results to their Medical Records office. I first met with Dr Jaroszewski's nurse, Meagan, to review my history and then had a separate meeting with Dr Jaroszewski. Dr Jaroszewski already reviewed my data and came to my appointment informed, prepared and ready to make a plan. I knew she was the right surgeon for me - no one else could understand my case, and I met with multiple surgeons. She was my Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Because the COVID pandemic was surging at the time, it was not straightforward for me to get to the Mayo Clinic for the testing to triage my case into an emergent or an elective track so Dr Jaroszewski provided guidance and advised my local care team to complete the required testing. Once the critical data was gathered, Dr Jaroszewski called me personally to let me know that the procedure would be emergent and to expect a call from her scheduling team. My communication with Dr Jaroszewski and her team has been primarily through the Mayo Clinic online portal, and the team is well-informed, compassionate and responsive. The resources that they shared were valuable including websites, publications, TedTalks, a stretching and strengthening program, and Facebook support group. The community surrounding Dr Jaroszewski and her team at the Mayo Clinic is overwhelmingly positive and supportive. Her team was also very fast and easy to work with for my disability documentation required for work and state filings.

When we arrived at the Mayo Clinic for the pre-operative procedures and appointments the week of surgery, everything was planned, scheduled and well organized. It was refreshing to be able to just “show up” and not have to do all the heavy lifting myself, which I was accustomed to doing with my local team. Instructional materials were made available through the online portal, and were both detailed and easy to follow. All Mayo Clinic personnel were friendly and welcoming. While going through the testing and preparation for the surgery at Mayo, I was no longer treated like a fringe case – everyone was familiar with my condition, had seen it many times before and did not treat me like I was a freak. It was the first time I felt at ease in many months.

Since the surgery, which went very well, the team has been very responsive to all of my questions and again has provided additional guidance to my local care team, who will ensure I stay healthy until I return to have my bars removed. From all of my interactions with Dr Jaroszewski and her team, it is apparent why she is top in her field and that there is no one else who would have been able to manage my case. I am forever grateful to her and her team and recommend them, unequivocally.