Cleveland Clinic Program Helps CEO Avoid Major Surgery

When local physicians in Louisiana surprised Brian Jakes by telling him he needed five-vessel cardiac bypass surgery, he knew he wanted a second opinion. In fact, he wanted the best possible second opinion.

"So I called the chancellor of Louisiana State University's medical school, and he told me to go to either Cleveland Clinic or Mayo Clinic," says Jakes, whose job as chief executive officer of Southeast Louisiana Area Health Education Center (AHEC) has put him on a first-name basis with many medical leaders in Louisiana.

Aware that Cleveland Clinic is rated first in the nation for heart care, Jakes went online to visit the institution's Web site. There he found information about MyConsult Online Medical Second Opinion, a secure, online program that provides remote second medical opinions from Cleveland Clinic specialists for more than 1,000 life-threatening and life-altering diagnoses.

"I was delighted to learn that I could get a second opinion from the nation's top heart doctors without traveling to Cleveland," says Jakes, 69, who has coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation. "And I'm so glad I did. The bottom line is that the local doctors were saying I had severe regurgitation and needed major surgery. The Cleveland Clinic doctors say I only have mild regurgitation, which can be simply treated with medication.

"If I ever did need heart surgery, I'd go to Cleveland Clinic, which does thousands of heart surgeries every year and is the best," he adds.

But it doesn't look like Jakes will need surgery any time soon - if ever. By taking appropriate medications and by altering his diet and making other lifestyle changes, he has brought down his blood pressure, pulse rate and cholesterol levels within normal ranges. He is also religious about keeping his six-month follow-up appointments.

"Cleveland Clinic's MyConsult was a win-win for me," says Jakes. "I was very pleased with the MyConsult clinical team. Everybody was absolutely wonderful. It was money well spent. In fact, my company thought enough of it that they reimbursed me for it. Online remote second opinions end up reducing medical costs in the long run. Why undergo major surgery and all the risks that are involved when you can avoid it?

"This experience shows that patients need to take responsibility for their own outcome," he adds. "A second or even third opinion is important, but most people don't even think of this. It's a way of controlling costs and avoiding unnecessary problems."

With his heart problems under control, Jakes has a new lease on life. And his is a very active life. In addition to his job with AHEC, he is an active recruiter for the United States Military Academy at West Point. He is also chairman of the board of a rural hospital, which he has served for 21 years, and he does additional volunteer work.

Jakes resides in Mandeville, La., with his wife, Beverly, who is a nurse. The couple has five children and nine grandchildren. "I enjoy golfing, fishing and being with my family," says Brian Jakes.

Thanks to Cleveland Clinic's MyConsult Online Medical Second Opinion program, Jakes is enjoying those activities more than if he were recovering from major heart surgery - surgery that would have been unnecessary. He is also able to continue in his role as a strong leader of AHEC, which assists underserved populations by helping them to access medical care.

"After being a banker for 28 years, I'm now a nice guy," says Jakes. His "nice guy" duties include improving the supply and distribution of healthcare professionals within the state through community and academic educational partnerships, in an effort to increase access to quality health care for all Louisiana residents.