After having a valve replacement how often do you see your cardiologist?

[Rebecca]

After having a valve replacement how often do you see your cardiologist and how often do you have echo?

Today I saw a new cardiologist because my health insurance changed. After having my valve replace in 2011 my cardiologist still wants to see me every six months. My new one also wants me to have echo every year. I am tired of seeing doctors and having tests done. My old cardiologist told me he was fine with having echo every two years.

 

[Davey]

Hi Rebecca
I had an MVR with St Judes Mechanical 14yrs ago. For the first two years I had an echo every six months, and then every 18mths since.
I guess it depends on how well you are, I know its a pain but if they find something they don't like, early discovery is really good !
All the best.

 

[ottagal]

After having a valve replacement how often do you see your cardiologist and how often do you have echo?

Today I saw a new cardiologist because my health insurance changed. After having my valve replace in 2011 my cardiologist still wants to see me every six months. My new one also wants me to have echo every year. I am tired of seeing doctors and having tests done. My old cardiologist told me he was fine with having echo every two years.

I have a yearly visit and echo. My first year I had a visit at the 6 month mark. It changed to a yearly visit after the first year anniversary of my AVR.

 

[ski girl]

Same as ottagal, once a year. I go when they ring me up and tell me! If they stopped making appointments for me, I'd no doubt stop going, and really I only go cos my cardio is very good to me and I wouldn't want to disappoint him (I have a mech valve so I don't anticipate anything going wrong).

 

[ManiSham]

I too go every 6 months after AVR 9 years ago but during certain visits I don't get an echo. My previous two echos showed a problem in my MV and I was started on meds so I'm glad I go for regular check ups!

 

[DavesMom]

Hi,

I had AVR/aneurysm repair in 1999. I see my cardio once a year and get a yearly echo plus a CT scan to keep check on the ascending aortic aneurysm I now have.

 

[Rebecca]

I had AVR/aneurysm repair in 1999. I see my cardio once a year and get a yearly echo plus a CT scan to keep check on the ascending aortic aneurysm I now have.

Davesmom are you concern about getting a yearly CT scan because of the high level of radiation?

I also have aneurysm and my new cardiologist wants me to also get a CT scan. I have already had three CT scans and many chest x-rays and 33 zaps of radiation to my chest for breast cancer. For this year I already have told her no to echo or CT scan but next year I would have echo and maybe a CT scan.

I feel that sometimes you have to be your own advocacies. My oncologist had me on prescription iron for almost five years and I still had anemia. Finally my family doctor tested my ferritin level and it was at toxic level. Normal 15 to 159 and I was at 618.

 

[Cooker]

Doctors, who needs em???:rolleyes2: ... We do..... My first cardiologist wanted to see me twice a year and after three years went to once a year. New cardiologist wants to see me twice a year (needed new doc due to other one moved) and I was none to happy about that ...

As I was griping to my DW about doctors visits and test after test ... she said she understood and immediately followed it up with how grateful I should be to have good insurance, good health care and any slight inconvenience caused me should be excepted with grace ....

Pictures of many types of people who have no access to medical care flashed across my mind of ..... I'll take my "inconvenient" life and be grateful....

 

[dornole]

I used to have to call and almost break down the door to get the yearly echo and appt the doc said I should have . . . this time, they called ME as soon as the schedule opened . . ut oh! I like being the one who gets bad customer service better.

 

[DavesMom]

Davesmom are you concern about getting a yearly CT scan because of the high level of radiation?

Hi Rebecca,

No, I don't worry about the radiation from the CT scan since it's only once a year and I haven't had any other exposure to xrays or anything like that. Given your history, however, I could see why you might be concerned.

You might talk to your doctor about having an MRI instead. This doesn't involve radiation and also gives a good picture of the aneurysm. I had one instead of the CT scan one year but then for some reason my cardio went back to the CTs. I think the accuracy is about the same on both.

Totally agree about how we have to be advocates. Had I not mentioned the possibility of developing a second aneurysm to my cardio she would never have tested for it and I would never have known! For some reason or another, my aneurysm never shows up on my echo.

Good luck and take care.

 

[clay_from_nj]

I had echo and cardio visit at six months, and then a year after that. At the last visit (1-1/2 years after surgery), I was told no more echoes unless there's a specific reason, just yearly quick checkups.

 

[epstns]

I have a regular routine with my cardio. I see him twice a year for consultation, etc., and at one of the appointments we also do an echo. That way we have a constant reading on my new valve, just in case.

I also don't mind seeing my cardio. He's a great guy with whom I can discuss all the latest research on valves, etc. Also, I can easily get the time off work, and his office is on the way home.

Hope to maintain this routine for many years. . .

 

[chaconne]

For me it's been about once a year with an echo every 2 years. So far I've not had any problems or complications, otherwise I might see the doctor more often.

 

[tom in MO]

I had an AVR with no complications and am 57.

My cardio told me things have changed over the years when it comes to follow-up care. He said they used to do a checkup every 6 months and echo every year. Now, studies have shown that's overkill. I had an echo about 6 months after surgery, with a checkup every 6 months until 1.5 years. Now he'd like to see me once a year. I will probably get another echo at about 2.5 years which is 2 years since my last. He told me if I wanted an echo every year, he could order it, but I am not so lonely I see Drs for fun He does require blood work every 6 months since I take pravistatin.

My surgeon told me an echo every year was not needed but he wouldn't go more than 5 years w/o one. Then he said that's not his call but the cardios

 

[Bryan B]

Hi,

I had AVR/aneurysm repair in 1999. I see my cardio once a year and get a yearly echo plus a CT scan to keep check on the ascending aortic aneurysm I now have.

Davesmom are you concern about getting a yearly CT scan because of the high level of radiation?

I also have aneurysm and my new cardiologist wants me to also get a CT scan. I have already had three CT scans and many chest x-rays and 33 zaps of radiation to my chest for breast cancer. For this year I already have told her no to echo or CT scan but next year I would have echo and maybe a CT scan.

I feel that sometimes you have to be your own advocacies. My oncologist had me on prescription iron for almost five years and I still had anemia. Finally my family doctor tested my ferritin level and it was at toxic level. Normal 15 to 159 and I was at 618.

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 will alternate between my cardio and my surgeon every 9 months.

My surgeon has always said that a CT scan is the gold standard for visualizing the aorta, but he too is concerned about too much radiation exposure. He alternates between a cardiac MRI and a CT scan each followup since he knows I will be getting one or the other for the rest of my life. He said that if something unusual showed up on the MRI he would follow it up with a CT scan.

 

[MarkU]

I had my AVR back in 2000. I see my cardiologist once a year. I had echos annually for the first couple of years, but now only every other year.
Mark

 

[neil]

every 2 years ,

 

[kpearse]

For me it's been about once a year with an echo every 2 years. They found my ascending aortic aneurysm has increased on the last echo, so now he wants to see me every year with an echo.

 

[hannahsmom]

Hannah was going every 6 months the first two years after her surgery now we are once every 9 months. Each time she gets an echo and ekg. We did a halter monitor after the 1st year, which the cardio said we will do every few years or so. This next visit she would like to do the treadmill stress test. Hannah is still so young and growing, I imagine once her body's changes slow down, we will move to 12 mos. Personally I don't mind going and getting some reassurance every so often. We do get a little anxious before the visits, but when the news is good, the feeling afterwards is awesome!

 

[traveler]

I was told my case was unique. I had an echo Every 3 months for the first year and yearly after that.