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TAVR in Failed Bioprostheses; The valve-in-valve approach TAVR in Failed Bioprostheses; The valve-in-valve approach Ron & Steve, my surgeon, Dr James Spann, is very interested in the development of new devices. There was one other thing he told me. He says that one of Edwards' goals is to...

I like the Puffy ones I like the Puffy ones JO, before my AVR, I was told by one of the cardiac nurses that I would not be able to sleep in my waterbed for several weeks and maybe a couple of months until my chest healed enough. During the week before surgery, one of my brother's showed up at...

Hi, Ron, I saw your post and was wondering if you knew which Edwards valve was being recommended. To the best of my knowledge, Edwards doesn't make a mechanical valve anymore but I certainly could have missed something. They do make bovine pericardial valves including the Sapien which is the...

Studies are Slow Studies are Slow You might read these articles for a start. By now, you are beginning to learn that the choice of heart valves can be complex. It is simpler for the young and the elderly but for those of us in the middle - well, there isn't any way to "KNOW" which is the...

Hi, Halya, we have done a lot of waiting so you are in good company here in VR. 14 years ago when I was 50, I got a new doctor who almost at once asked about my heart murmur. No one had ever said anything about it to me so she sent me to meet my cardiologist for the first time. My results...

Coping With Heart Surgery and Bypassing Depression Coping With Heart Surgery and Bypassing Depression I, too, felt a lot of anxiety after I first received my diagnosis. It can be scary to suddenly learn that there is a problem inside that will require surgery to fix and its very understandable...

Hi, Richard, If you have not already done so, I think you should speak with your cardiologist in case the sensations you are experiencing are related to heart function. The elevated heart rate and blood pressure is pretty normal after surgery. Like many people, my surgeon & cardiologist had me...

Care free, maybe not; Joyful, certainly! Care free, maybe not; Joyful, certainly! I can't tell you that you will ever be "care free" again. To me, care free suggests that one doesn't recognize the risks that we live with every day. It is certainly true that people are terrible at evaluating...

Hi, J, I can tell you what my surgeon and my cardiologist have said to me. If a valve begins to fail for whatever reason, the result is impeded blood flow and you would expect to experience the same symptoms as with the original condition. Other than a heart murmur, I lived for 8 years with no...

Hi, Red, if you are speaking of the Pre-Op appointment just before surgery, there are a few things they will ask that you might consider before hand. At my Pre-Op appointment, I was asked if I had a will and had I prepared a medical directive. Valve Replacement comes with very low risk but it...

Hi, Tommy, welcome to VR. We all have felt the anxiety build over the idea of heart surgery. I don't think you can hear too often that this surgery combines very very low risk with an excellent outcome for almost everyone and it won't be as bad as you may fear. I'm a beekeeper and one of the...

Hi, Don, in the week following surgery, one's ability to concentrate is pretty much shot. The only thing I really enjoyed was listening to music I've collected. After about a week, concentration begins to improve and one can read, spend time online, and pretty much anything else you want that...

Michele, endocartitis is a potential problem for us all. For those of us who have tissue valves, the valve itself can be damaged but regardless of the valve type, the site where the valve is mounted can be damaged as well. It does mean that one must take antibiotics before dental work and at...

Hi, I live in Tulsa which does not have an international reputation for heart surgery. My Cardiologist recommended a surgeon here at what was then the new Oklahoma Heart Institute. This was also the year that Sternal Talons were approved for use. It turned out that Talons were actually...

Mantas, welcome to the group. With respect to the scar, you can always say you got it in a duel! Mine is now over four years old and has no color or swelling so it isn't all that obvious anyway. I sort of miss it. My Aunt has used coumadin for many years and eats everything that she wants...

This is not a simple issue. As my surgeon pointed out, no one knows how long the current generation of tissue valves will last. I was 59 at the time my valve was replaced and he suggested a tissue valve which he expected would last the rest of my life. There is also my Uncle Bob. My...

Have it checked! Have it checked! Pete, have you your GP look at it. It is very typical that a spot down by the lower tip of the sternum is the last to heal but since there are signs of infection, it really should be looked at. I had a bump that oozed clear fluid until about six weeks but...

I thought it was prudent to make some basic preparations so I made a will for the first time and discussed it with my brother who was named as my executor. I also made arrangements with friends for my animals. I did think about writting letters but, instead, I decided to talk to each of the...

From Awful to Wonderful From Awful to Wonderful In the months before my valve replacement, I became quite ill. Walking from my living room to the car left me winded. Walking from the parking lot one block to the office and then up a flight of 16 stairs left me exhausted. Almost any exertion...

Hi, I don't live in Chicago so I can't help you with where although there are others who should know more about that. My suggestion is that convienience is probably more important. If your program is similar to mine, and I think that's likely, you will be going three days a week for 12 weeks...