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Lisa, This is in response to your leaky mitral and tricuspid valves. I had mild leakage in both of mine before surgery as well, but after my aortic valve was replaced and functioning properly both valves went back to trace amounts of leakage. I think this phenomenon is not all that uncommon in...

Thanks for posting these links, I really enjoyed watching both of these. It reminded me of my first surgeon who used to spend his vacations going to 3rd world countries performing heart surgery on children for free.

I've been on it for over a decade now. After my 2nd surgery (Feb 2011) I went from 50mg once a day to 50mg twice a day and it definitely has an effect on me. It makes me more lethargic and I can't get my heart rate up to where it should be when exercising, which also makes me feel kind of...

I did not have an enema before surgery, but there was a bit of a gathering of family and nurses to cheer me on as I was trying to avoid the dreaded Dulcolax suppository. It was deemed "The Poo Poo Dance" (kind of like a rain dance), and yes this is a true story. :biggrin2: Long story short the...

The concern about radiation is why my surgeon alternates between the MRI and the CT scan for diagnostic testing at my followups.

I had sub-acute endocarditis so it was a gradual thing with me. But when the night sweats hit they were sheet and pillow soaking events. I had to lay a couple of towels on top of the sheets and pillow just to make it through the night without changing them. I would have to change my t-shirt a...

For my first surgery at age 43 I was told 2.0% and for my second surgery at age 50 I was told 3.5%. Those numbers were related only to surviving the initial surgery. My first surgery was a bit more complicated because I had a Ross Procedure and the second one was a redo and also involved...

When they first detected mild dilation of my aortic root they just followed it with my yearly echo. After 2 years of steady growth they sent me for a MRI and found that it was larger than the echo showed (not trying to scare you). They also found that my ascending aorta was also dilated (which...

Hi Coach, As you can see in my signature Dr. Hughes did my surgery 3 years ago to replace my valve and fix my aortic root/ascending aortic aneurysm. He is a no nonsense guy and VERY GOOD at what he does. You will be in great hands at Duke! I can't recommend the food but everything else is top...

Just food for thought, there really is no such thing as a permanent repair OR replacement of a valve regardless of what type of procedure you choose. The difference between a tissue valve and a repair/mech is that the tissue valve is guaranteed to wear out at some point where the other two...

I've had 5 caths in my life, remember 4 of them (1st one was at 18 months). Four were by groin and one in the arm (my 2nd one). The last two that I've had were before my 2 surgeries. The first one was done outpatient and my Cardio did all of his scheduled caths on Fridays. I probably could have...

I see my cardiologist every 18 months for an echo to keep track of how my valve is doing. My surgeon specializes in disease of the aorta and follows his patients for life. I saw him annually for the first 3 years and at the last appointment he said he was changing that to every 18 months. So now...

I have a tissue valve but can count beats as well. I have a graft as well. I can tell if I forgot to take my metoprolol just by sitting and listening. I'm pretty close to 60bpm resting so it is pretty easy to get a count quickly.

Hi Ashley (not Kate LOL), I'm glad you had a good experience at Duke! Dr. Ward is a great cardiologist. She really knows her stuff and is very personable as well.

Hi Kate, Yes, I have been seen at the Duke ACHD clinic (adult congenital heart disease) since 2004 for followups on my replaced aortic valve. My particular surgeon also sees me for followups for my repaired ascending aorta (although not many surgeons do this...he follows his patients for life)...

Sorry to hear about that Katesmom, but on the bright side I think you will find a cardiologist you will like at Duke. I have had both of my surgeries at Duke and have been followed by cardiologists at the Duke ACHD clinic (adults with congenital heart disease) since right after my first surgery...

This is pretty much how my surgeon explained it. Anthony, It sounds like you have a great attitude which is half the battle when things don't go as planned. I had my ascending aorta replaced and the pounding bothered me a lot for about the first year or so. Gradually it got a bit quieter while...

I requested the same Steve and my surgeon said "I use staples" and I could tell that was the end of that conversation. The funny thing is that after everything healed up I couldn't really tell much difference between the staples and the surgical glue they used for my first surgery (although I do...

My surgery was 3 years ago and I am still on 3 heart meds and probably will be for life. When I came home from surgery I was probably on about 6 more besides the 3 heart meds, but they were all temporary.

For me personally I would go with the more experienced surgeon since you are having 2 valves replaced and it's your second surgery. When it came time for both of my surgeries I went with the best surgeon AND the best hospital, because bedside manner doesn't really matter when the surgeon is...