3rd surgery and risks?

[kevin21]

I haven't found anything yet....

I'm not having the valve done a second time, just a 3rd open heart surgery.... (yeah, just a 3rd ohs...).

I guess my valve area etc will be virgin territory to the doc. I did have a sub-aortic stenosis removed (I guess) but Nothing done to the valve....

I really am not that worried about it, I mean what can worrying do for you?

I just go on about my life and take this junk in stride. I could be Christopher Reeves or equivalent. My father in law just died from Lou Gherigs disease (ALS) and I'd take this heart problem over that dibilitating stuff anyday!!!

I think being positive and feeling like you're going to wake up and see your family in the ICU is very helpful when going into a surgery. I was 10 when I had my last one but I do remember being scared but thinking how great it will be when I wake up and see mom and dad there in the room with me!

Now I'll get to see mom, dad, wife and who ever else wants to see me at my most uncomfortable point!! (But alive and talking smack still!!!)

 

[tobagotwo]

Resurgeries

Resurgeries

Not to worry...

Al Lodwick posted this study a few months ago. While it is not entirely specific to your case, I opine that the cases are close enough to apply.

It is a large study that entirely puts the kibosh on that old and still popular canard that future OH surgeries are more dangerous than first surgeries. In fact, it indicates that they are statistically safer than first surgeries, having a mortality rate 25% lower than first surgeries.

http://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7339

Naturally, your current condition and the cause for the second/third surgery can affect your personal stats. And if you've had several other major surgeries, such as lung surgery or major abdominal surgery, those things might also affect your personal odds. However, subjects were not removed from the study for any of those reasons, so those people are included in the final figures, too.

Conclusion: the study indicates your overall odds are better on your subsequent open-heart surgeries than your first. I wish we could finally put that evil chant about revalving to bed.

Rest easier,

 

[Debrinha GT]

degenerative diseases

degenerative diseases

Kevin 21 I've just seen your post and was quite surprised when you mentioned ALS for my step father too died from Lou Gehrig's disease back in 1988. That was one of the reasons why my husband and I came back to Brazil, we were living in Scotland at the time. I can still clearly remember how much he suffered and how excrutiating his death was. My mother has myastenia graves which's also a degenerative disease. A while ago somebody else wrote something about knowing a person who had ALS but I can't really remember who.
Débora

 

[kevin21]

Not to worry...

Al Lodwick posted this study a few months ago. While it is not entirely specific to your case, I opine that the cases are close enough to apply.

It is a large study that entirely puts the kibosh on that old and still popular canard that future OH surgeries are more dangerous than first surgeries. In fact, it indicates that they are statistically safer than first surgeries, having a mortality rate 25% lower than first surgeries.

http://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7339

Naturally, your current condition and the cause for the second/third surgery can affect your personal stats. And if you've had several other major surgeries, such as lung surgery or major abdominal surgery, those things might also affect your personal odds. However, subjects were not removed from the study for any of those reasons, so those people are included in the final figures, too.

Conclusion: the study indicates your overall odds are better on your subsequent open-heart surgeries than your first. I wish we could finally put that evil chant about revalving to bed.


IRest easier,

hear ya, and thanks for the link!!!!

Like I said, I'm not worried anymore because it doesn't do me any good to worry!!! Live life!!

 

[Gail in Ca]

Brenda, time for surgery?

Brenda, time for surgery?

Brenda,
I was exercising up until the cath. I walked my dog twice a week and also did step aerobics.
My cardiologist also suggested I have my redo sooner than later,( wait no more than 6mos, maybe to a yr) but I waited because the nurses were on strike at Stanford and I was not having symptoms. He warned that things could go bad fast as he had seen that, but I was feeling fine so I figured why do a surgery?
Well, I had the cath when the nurses were still on strike( 5 mos after diagnosis) and the stand-ins gave me a fluid overload. I went into congestive heart failure, spent the nite in the hospital and they sent me home the next day, like I was fine, so I believed I was.
I never felt the same after that, not really short of breath, but felt not right somehow. Just 3 days later I had trouble going up stairs to the balcony at my daughters dance recital, and I knew something was happening.
But, I let it pass thinking that it wasn't SOB so I must be ok.
I could not sleep and ended up waking my husband at 1am that same nite
and went to the ER at our local hospital.
They transfered me to Stanford and my surgery was the next day, the nurses were still on strike and I was scared!
My valve leaflet had torn and I had major regurge, from the fluid overload I believe. Even my surgeon wondered why I was sent home after the cath nightmare.
I guess it's hard to know if that was the only cause or if my valve had already started to go and I just didn't feel the symptoms.
So, my advice would be to have the surgery sooner than later.
Gail

 

[brendamarlene]

Gail, thank you for your advice and info.

From my recent echo and cath, I was told I will need the surgery in 6 months to a year, but SOONER if my symptoms (my only symptom now is fatigue) get worse.

I have a hard time judging if my fatigue is from my heart or from stress or just getting older. Maybe I am in denial since of course I do not want to have the surgery until it is needed.

Sometimes (maybe more lately), I feel my heart pounding more in my chest. I wonder if is that just my imagination? or stress again??? I wonder if that is a symptom?

On one of these forums, someone wrote that perhaps people in good physical condition show less symptoms???