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Our surgeons could have gone to the same school. Your scar looks much as mine did at three months. In september, mine will be 3 years old and it is barely visible to most people. I still see it in the mirror if I think to look for it but it no longer jumps out at me. The incision left a...

MT, your symptoms will only get worse with time. Also, with time, the damage to your heart will increase and make recovery much longer. When you think about this, remember that it is the disease that is the problem not surgery. Surgery is your way to escape what is otherwise a terminal...

I think most of us with a good cardiac rehab experience would agree that the exercise portion is something that we could do at home. BUT, there is more to recovery than exercise in the CR Gym. At my rehab gym, everyone was encouraged to continue walking on their own and reminded that the...

It is hard enough preparing one's self for surgery but to wake and hear the surgeon say "Oh, my mistake!" is an awful thing to happen. As is routine for him, my own cardiologist scheduled a heart cath while I waited to speak with my surgeon. In your shoes, I would definately want to talk to a...

Angus, if you have not read Allison's article and posts you might want to look at them. The link to the newspaper is: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/a-d...-1226058541539 Here in VR, her login name is Allisoninoz At any rate, welcome to VR. Waiting is the worst part and Recovery will be...

In 2001, I had to change doctors. Almost the first question my new doctor asked was "Has anyone said you have a heart murmur?" It was news to me. As a result of that first examination, she sent me to meet the fellow who has become my cardiologist. He confirmed that stenosis was causing the...

Glad to hear your meeting with your surgeon went well. With respect to your question about the number of valve replacements your surgeon performs.....I would be concerned if he performed 70 surgeries a year but 70 valve replacements in addition to many other heart surgeries is a very different...

Welcome to our little community here at VR. If the stenosis of your valve is severe, then you very likely already have symptoms. You have just written them off to other things as many of us did. Sad though it may be, this is not a condition that improves even though a poorly executed or badly...

I agree with everyone else that it is important for you to have a good working relationship with your cardiologist but, remember, your doctor works for you. As his patient, you are also his employer and you have little to lose by asking for answers to your questions. Any competent doctor will...

The others have just told you that few people will die from a condition related to their artificial heart valve and you have heard from Dick, whose valve is close to the age of your parents; there is nothing I can add to that. You might consider that unless you have other problems, the new...

Kristen, everyone here has been in your shoes. For most of us, heart surgery is very big thing. The anxiety we build up causes our emotions to be more volitile. A sad song or movie or a very joyful event easily sent me into tears. These are all experessions of the vulnerability we suddenly...

Hi, Larry, before surgery, I worried a lot about how much of an invalid I would be upon returning home. In truth, one persons experience cannot be directly related to your own, still, most people should be able to move around and do normal light tasks around the house and care for themselves...

Hi, Kristen, waiting really is the worst part. Many of us have experienced the emotional roller coaster that can result from the anxiety of waiting. You are not alone. I would offer this: try to shift your focus to recovery. At this point your heart is failing which in a different time and...

Your report is much better than my first when I was diagnosed a decade before my AVR. What this tells you is that by working to maintain good cardio vascular health, you win either way. If the condition of your valve never changes much then the you do to stay healthy will stand you in good...

I agree with Laurie, it sounds like you are doing very well. My experience with Cardiac Rehab was similar to your own. I found it to be very helpful overall but as you said most of the patients there were bypass patients who by and large had many unhealthy habits. One fellow quit my group...

Hi, Larry, welcome to VR. Looking over your test results one can only come to the conclusion that you should listen to your doctors. Your results are actually pretty normal for someone with severe stenosis yet in good health overall. This should indicate that you are likely to respond very...

Hi, Jon, your experience is quite incredible. I can't help wondering what would have happened if you had not followed up on the shoulder pain. We all have lessons to learn from you: Stay as healthy as possible, pay attention to your body and follow up problems that persist. We all know these...

Hi, Fibe and welcome to VR. I live alone so some of your concerns were at the top of my list and one of those that worried me most was "will I be an invalid after surgery?" In short, the answer is no. I was kept sedated for almost 48 hours so I didn't really wake up until my 2nd day after...

Hi, Pat, I agree with JKM in that it sounds as though your surgeon is just being thorough. He likely wants to rule out unanticipated complications. You might consider calling your contact in his office to ask what was found and whether there may be any impact on your plans. Take a deep breath...

Dale, my chest incision healed without any incident in a little less than three weeks. The four small incisions for the tubes and wires were slower to heal; I also had no stitches. My doctor had me use butterfly bandages or light gauze to keep them covered. The last one didn't heal completely...