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Geff, Look at me my friend. Just got the same procedure you're having mere days ago (july 23rd) and it went great. There are so many success stories here which will provide you assurance that you would be on the other side before you know it. You will be giving similar advice to others like a...

INR is now 2.0. Thanks @pellicle and @ncw3642 for your help, and everyone else for encouragement before the surgery and during the early part of the recovery.

Yes I’m US based in California. Coincidentally, main nurse came by after the previous posting and they’ve set me up with Quest Lab which 10 mins from my home for INR testing. Otherwise they wouldn’t release me until INR is above 2 she’s saying (meaning I won’t be doing anything else at home...

@pellicle my Coumadin was started a few days ago but was interrupted since they had to do catherization. So 2 days were lost just like that. I will get proper dose schedule and post here. Tonight they’re planning to restart Coumadin and tomorrow restart heparin IV. @ncw3642 your recent...

All and everything good now. Feel great. Only thing holding me from going home is the INR level which is stuck at 1.3. @pellicle and @ncw3642 please stand by for pertaining information. Your expertise and recent experience respectively will be very useful. Let me know if you want me to start a...

Update: They did CT scan today since aorta was involved. Looks like my left main coronary artery is showing somewhat pinched. I didn’t ask if they pinched it while reinserting it into ascending aorta after its replacement. They will do an angiogram tomorrow to confirm and potentially insert...

Glad to hear. Honestly I’m not worried about INR level, it will find its way one way or another. Yes Im aware @pellicle is the doctor of INR and many other things :-) I’ll be having a lot of questions for him and everyone else coming up when I get home. Only thing I’m anxious about right now...

I’m in a situation right now. Oral Coumadin last few days brought the INR to 1.2, then 1.4, back to 1.2. I’ve same mechanical On-X as you. Thru bentall (plus root and ascending). Today they’re injecting Heparin thru IV all day hoping to get to the desired level. Hope your INR is...

This morning, it’s back in sinus rhythm. Will keep posted.

Day 5 post-op report Smooth sailing first 4 days. I’ve been walking more than they wanted, surprised them with just about everything. One of my tubes were yanked out on Day 3, and moved to regular room. Kept walking more. This morning Day 5, their plan was to take out chest wires and then...

Yes you did. You were right on the mark :-)

Yes, glad to be over with. Taking baby steps in ICU but doing great. Will send details in a week. PS: Looking forward to watching Olympics opening ceremony at 10:30 am PST tomorrow :-)

Procedure went great. In ICU now :)

My opening ceremony happens on July 23rd, and I hope to be in some senses by Olympics opening ceremony (July 26th) :) My event is Bentall - a multi-sport (Aortic root, ascending aorta, mechanical On-X aortic valve). I can't thank this community enough which has provided tremendous support and...

Sure. Why not explore all avenues available. While genetic science is still developing (i use the analogy that the rocket is not settled into the orbit yet) but it's already shedding valuable insights into diseases/disorders that have genetic disposition. There are markers identified which...

Great. That information helps greatly. Happy that yours went so well. I actually didn't ask my surgeon whether he would do mini or full sternotomy. I want to leave their business to themselves after certain point. He knows I lead a very active lifestyle, and he's one of the most experienced...

That's great news indeed. Glad to see you are on the mend. Question. You got your aorta replaced, correct? How much? Or it was a "repair" instead? Was mini-sternotomy possible for aorta repair/replacement? I will be getting bentall procedure and don't think mini-sternotomy is possible but...

This article says 10% of population is born with BAV. I thought it was more like 2%. And author is raising alarms for aorta at 4.5 cm for BAV which is not true. https://www.jacc.org/doi/full/10.1016/j.jacc.2014.02.536

Not sure what the core discussion is about on this long thread here but at one time (before 2014 let's say), surgeons were very concerned about aorta sizes for BAV patients and were little too aggressive in recommending surgical intervention even at 4.5 cm (with valve replacement as applicable)...

How old are you? Aorta is relatively more stable in older patients than younger. Rate of changes is also important, so please monitor is periodically (e.g. annually). You mentioned blood pressure, that sure is a factor. Not only control it, consider taking ARBs like Losartan which are known to...