Hi Elena-
First of all, I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I have been doing a lot of research on AA and I see your in Worcester. I am scheduled for a second opinion at Mass General in Boston. They are top of the field and very highly rated. Setting up the 2nd opinion is really easy. You can do it online. They get back to you in 48hrs. You send your cardio's notes and CT/MRI results and they schedule you with the appropriate physician. I hope you don't need the surgery, but if you do, you can feel confident in that they do over 250 of these surgeries a year so they are very experienced. They, like all the major hospitals, have a full team of drs, nurses, and all different types of therapists to support you through the process.
It is such a wonderful thing to have this support group to talk with but you should also ask the professionals all of your questions and they can guide you based on your unique circumstances. I know it is scary, but there is power in knowledge. Ironically, and very sadly, my husband is at a funeral today for the paraprofessional in his classroom who just passed away from this. We may be unlucky to have AA, but we are lucky to know about it and be able to be empowered to learn and make our own choices.
Best of luck to you! Michelle