2 surgerys

[jenny]

Thank yOu

Thank yOu

I guess I am a big baby. But your words of encouragement sure mean a lot to me. I am going to Boston Tuesday, and will stay over night for the surgery till Wednesday. Everytime I get stressed out bit time, I get feeling so so much grief for the child I lost. For some reason when I am going to be stressed out big time, it brings me back to the time I find out he had died. My spirits are just ok. The practioner there said that I should be on anti depressents for I need them. He is right I surely do ......after this is over I will try to see a thearpist about some medication for depression.
I just wish my Bobby were back with me......Thank you all and God bless you all......... Love, Jenny

 

[RCB]

You are going to be fine!

You are going to be fine!

Jenny,
Although no one would argue that previous surgery does
not make the next one harder- surgical skills improve also!
Your in good hands and try to concentrate on how good you will feel in three months. It worked for me!

 

[brendamarlene]

Based on recent echo and cath, I was told I would probably need resurgery in 6 months to a year. I, too, would like to find others who have had aortic homograft replaced.

I think I will go mechanical this time (I am now 57), so, hopefully, I will not need a third surgery.

One of my decisions is whether to go back to original surgeon or go to Cleveland Clinic.

Someone posted that "second valve replacements are 25% safer than first." I thought reoperations were more difficult and had higher mortality because of scarring and the possibility of tissue adherence to the ribs??? Anyone have any info on this?

All of your positive comments were very helpful to me, also. Thanks!

 

[tobagotwo]

That is the information on second surgeries. It's actuarial data. The discussions about difficulties with scarring, etc, may be true, but they don't affect survival rates negatively. The study referred to was done with a followup on over 1,200 valve replacement patients, which is a very large study, compared to most valve-related studies.

I suspect that there is a certain percentage of people who, for whatever reason, cannot sustain heart surgery, and they are unfortunately "weeded out" on the first procedure.

Here's the link to the study synopsis: http://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7339&highlight=reoperation

Best wishes,

 

[Sherry]

Tissue adherence?

Tissue adherence?

Brendamarlene, what do you mean by "tissue adherence to the ribs"? That caught my eye in your post.

 

[RCB]

Ask the Dr.

Ask the Dr.

The best thing to do is ask the dr. CC has great drs. who can tell you what the data means. I have talked to some of the great Drs. in world and and no one suggested that a previous OHS does not make the next one more problematic, let alone 25% safer. However, a statistic paradox exist if you compare surgery over time. My first
surgery, when few had lived more than 6 weeks, my odds
were guested at a million to one- each surgery since, the odds were cut dramatically through medical advances. Now do you think my odds got better because I had more surgeries or because the drs. got better? My last surgery it was 90 to 10 +or- 2 percentage points. Which is about 7 to 8 percentage points for a similiar pt. with no previous surgeries at CC. Of course different hospital have different outcomes. Check stats! CC gets the toughest cases,
but still has the best stats. Also reoperations is a specialty
at CC- check their website. You will do fine- try not to worry!

 

[brendamarlene]

tissue adherence

tissue adherence

Maybe someone else can answer this better. But I think that I was told that there is an increased risk with second surgeries because the scarring may be "stuck" to the ribs when they open you up, and they won't know that until they cut?

I know I have expressed this very crudely.

I, too, would like to get more info on this---like, how often does this happen?

I am trying not to be all consumed with thinking about this surgery---I have known for about five years (after doing research---and finding this wonderful site!) that I would indeed need a "redo"-I think when they first put in my homograft, there was hope that it would last longer---and it has been 14 1/2 wonderful, active years! Here's to another 50!!! (OK, I'll take 30!)

 

[Sherry]

Brendamarlene, the reason I asked about that is that I've had terrible bouts of chest-wall pain that the doc has always called costochondritis. It's been 7 years since surgery and window drainage, so that's why that business about tissue adherence caught my eye.

 

[RCB]

Try Google

Try Google

Brendamarlene,
Try Google for "heart surgery reoperation risk". You
will find more then enough there. I have lost the link but
I remember reading a step by step walk through on heart surgery where one of the steps was cutting the sternum. Germane to your question it is more dangerous in reops. because
the surgeon operating the "saw" has to be careful of not going
to deep when he cuts, because the heart when it heals can
sometimes "stick" to underside of the sternum. This adhesion can sometimes
causes the arteries of the heart to be just m. meters away from the sternum and if the saw blade goes in too deep because of the uneven surface of the sternum- he can cause
a major loss of blood and damage to the heart even before
the ribcage is opened for the surgeon to fix the damage causeed by the saw. This "sticking of the heart" is extremely
rare in "virgin" heart surgery pts., but not uncommon in reop. pts. Sorry I forgot the link, but over the years of research, I can't save everything. Best to ask your surgeon,
but it really doesn't make a difference in your decision because when you need surgery- you accept all risks, both known and unknown. If you spend too much time thinking of everything that can go wrong- you will go crazy! Find an
experinced surgeon, but your trust in him and let him worry
about thse problems- that is why they get the really big money!

 

[brendamarlene]

Thanks, RCB, that is a very helpful explanation. I have tried google, but I will try again.

I will try not to concentrate on the risks, but on the positives.

positive...positive...positive...

 

[ticktock]

"One minute, you're being rolled somewhere, the next, you're waking up with a tube in your throat thinking, "I made it! I'm alive! This is so cool! What's this thing in my throat?"

WHO SAID THAT??? I was LOLOLOLOL!!

After my 4th surgery in 1999, I woke up and was actually LAUGHING! Dr. Cooley said what's the matter with her, and the Nurse said "I think she is trying to laugh". It's tough with a trach. I was so pleasantly amazed at being alive, happy and knew I was on the road back.

So cool to read that others have similar thoughts!

 

[John & Joann]

Joann has had double valve surgery 2 times. The second time they also did 3 bypass. Our sources told us that the second surgery is longer, more difficult, and more risk. Cleveland Clinic doctors related this in 1999. The great Dr. Petteersen said that Joann's was as difficult as they get. Her surgery was 12 hours and on the pump for 6 hours. They try to keep you on the pump for a maximum of 3 hours.

Recovery for the second, third, etc. is longer also. The patients for the repeat surgery are older, generally weaker, and have more multiple problems.

Bill Clinton, George Bush, and John Kerry are all teaching us that statistics can be used in various ways. Read the data and how it affects you.