Dr. Hartzell V Schaff, MD

I'm 1 year after extended septal myectomy performed by Dr Schaff. He did the excellent job.

Dr. Schaff was amazing. I am so grateful to him for my life. My mechanical heart valve works perfectly! He decided on a partial sternumectomy for my surgery, which left an almost imperceptible scar. That's amazing in itself considering scars I have seen on other people. I am so very grateful for the quietness of the valve too. I honestly forget I have it, and only in certain positions will I hear it! Also the amount of time on the heart lung machine was not very long, which is another great plus. I feel only an excellently skilled surgeon could perform this intricate surgery to the quality which I received. When asked who my surgeon was by staff or others at the Mayo Clinic, I always heard such positive responses, on how lucky I was to have Dr. Schaff. And I totally, totally agree! Thank you, Thank you Dr. Schaff!

Excellent physician

I haven't seen Dr. Schaff since 1996. But I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him and the staff. Unstable angina with multiple times to Cath lab, stents then emergency by pass.

Best surgeon. This doctor saved my life.

Owe my life to this man.

My husband had mitral valve repair twice in 9 days in 1997 at the age of 44. He was fine until Sept. 2009. Over the past 3 years, my husband had a cardiac ablation gone bad in Dallas, an aborted ablation followed by a pacemaker at Mayo (Dr. Doug Packer is a genius for how he handled that), and sudden cardiac arrest last summer while on vacation, survived, and received an ICD (pacemaker/defibrillator). Then we learned he needed his mitral valve replaced. I was extremely worried that after all of this, he would die during surgery. Of course, we would only have this done at Mayo with Dr. Hartzell Schaff. When Dr. Schaff asked me what I was worried about and I told him that I was worried my husband would die, he looked me right in the eye and said with complete confidence (not ego), "He's not going to die". I have never had more confidence in a doctor in my entire life. While it has only been about 5 months, my husband is doing extremely well. We are grateful to Dr. Schaff, everyone at… Mayo/St. Mary's, and Melissa Erdman, PA-C. Go no where else!

12 years on my mitral valve repair done by Dr. Schaff. No issues. Every few years I have an echo and see a cardiologist. The last one said to come back when I'm no longer the youngest guy in the waiting room. Back then I was told Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, or University of Michigan for the surgery, but considering the U of M doc I knew went to Schaff for the same surgery, I think I made the right choice. Thanks to Dr. Schaff and Mayo you were (are) the best.

Dr Schaff answered all of the questions that i had when i had my meeting with him. I did not see him after surgery, but i did see a member of his surgical team each day that i was in the hospital. I was always able to talk to his surgical assistant with any question that came up. Overall would recommend him to anyone that is looking to have heart surgery.

Of course he is great, it's Mayo. However, even at Mayo, when staff would find out who was doing my open heart surgery they would get all starry eyed and without fail say something like, he's the best in the world, or you are in good hands. Even the cardiologist who wrote the procedure that was going to be performed on me said that Dr Schaff, is without a doubt, the best in the world.