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Hello everyone!
My husband had aortic and mitral valves replaced with St. Jude's on October 3rd, 2001. He has not done as well as others here on the site. The long and the short of it is that he has bradycardia and tacchycardia, that are not controlled well by the medications he takes. Over the past 2-3 weeks, he had a stress echo done. His HR goes up to about 200, with very moderate excercise. His local cardio felt he should consult with an electrophysiologist. An appt. was made for 5/1. Unfortunately that is all that we were told about a week and a half ago. Luckily, we already had a 6 month appt. checkup with his Boston cardiologist, which was yesterday. He reviewed the written report of the stress echo, as well as the report on the Holter monitor. My husbands problem is multifactorial. He has left ventricular dysfunction (EF of 40%), he is in a-fib all of the time, his HR is not controlled by the meds, AND he now has a third valve leak. His tricuspid valve has severe regurgitation. Additionally, the Holter monitor showed that when at rest, and braddycardia occurs, his heart pauses for 2.41 seconds.......which is too long. (HR of 40 BPM) So, the Boston cardio wants another echo done (he did not think the report sufficiently comprehensive), and even if for no other reason, a pacemaker be installed for the "heart pauses". What will be done about the third valve, we don't know.....we will have to wait for the next echo to be done. Frankly, we are relieved that he said that we did not have to rush into anything.........but all of this explains why he has not thrived as well as so many of you. He is in CHF as well. Fatigue, fluid retention, etc. have all been symptoms persistent every day. We both felt he was in about the same condition as he was last summer.......prior to the surgery.
So...lessons to be learned? Get the very very best doctor you can possibly find. And, don't wait to have the surgery till you heart is so messed up, that there are more problems than the valve. Unfortunately my husband was misdiagnosed last spring with pneumonia. It took an additional two months to get a correct diagnosis, and get him onto the heart meds. Then, of course, the rounds with the surgeons.
So it appears there may be more hills ahead of us on this journey we are on.
I wrote Nancy last night and this morning, concerned about worrying so many newbies here. She encouraged me to write this, as perhaps it might help one of you in the future. So here it is. And, thank you, Nancy. You were right. If this helps even one person call their doctor, because they don't think they are doing as well as they should be...........then its worth it!
God Bless all of you for the help/kindnesses you have shown us over the past months. It has been a blessing.
Marybeth
PS - If anyone has a link or two to sites regarding tricuspid valve regurgitation, I sure would appreciate it!!!!
My husband had aortic and mitral valves replaced with St. Jude's on October 3rd, 2001. He has not done as well as others here on the site. The long and the short of it is that he has bradycardia and tacchycardia, that are not controlled well by the medications he takes. Over the past 2-3 weeks, he had a stress echo done. His HR goes up to about 200, with very moderate excercise. His local cardio felt he should consult with an electrophysiologist. An appt. was made for 5/1. Unfortunately that is all that we were told about a week and a half ago. Luckily, we already had a 6 month appt. checkup with his Boston cardiologist, which was yesterday. He reviewed the written report of the stress echo, as well as the report on the Holter monitor. My husbands problem is multifactorial. He has left ventricular dysfunction (EF of 40%), he is in a-fib all of the time, his HR is not controlled by the meds, AND he now has a third valve leak. His tricuspid valve has severe regurgitation. Additionally, the Holter monitor showed that when at rest, and braddycardia occurs, his heart pauses for 2.41 seconds.......which is too long. (HR of 40 BPM) So, the Boston cardio wants another echo done (he did not think the report sufficiently comprehensive), and even if for no other reason, a pacemaker be installed for the "heart pauses". What will be done about the third valve, we don't know.....we will have to wait for the next echo to be done. Frankly, we are relieved that he said that we did not have to rush into anything.........but all of this explains why he has not thrived as well as so many of you. He is in CHF as well. Fatigue, fluid retention, etc. have all been symptoms persistent every day. We both felt he was in about the same condition as he was last summer.......prior to the surgery.
So...lessons to be learned? Get the very very best doctor you can possibly find. And, don't wait to have the surgery till you heart is so messed up, that there are more problems than the valve. Unfortunately my husband was misdiagnosed last spring with pneumonia. It took an additional two months to get a correct diagnosis, and get him onto the heart meds. Then, of course, the rounds with the surgeons.
So it appears there may be more hills ahead of us on this journey we are on.
I wrote Nancy last night and this morning, concerned about worrying so many newbies here. She encouraged me to write this, as perhaps it might help one of you in the future. So here it is. And, thank you, Nancy. You were right. If this helps even one person call their doctor, because they don't think they are doing as well as they should be...........then its worth it!
God Bless all of you for the help/kindnesses you have shown us over the past months. It has been a blessing.
Marybeth
PS - If anyone has a link or two to sites regarding tricuspid valve regurgitation, I sure would appreciate it!!!!
