Another dilation

[Paul1972]

Hi all , I’ve been told I have another dilation just past my repair of the aortic root after having the David procedure 5 years ago , the valve repair unfortunately wasn’t a success so I had a second op to fit a mechanical valve months later . The valve is doing great it’s just what they call another dilation is on my mind . Hoping it won’t grow making it a third surgery, just wondering if any one else has had any experiences regarding a second aneurysm.

 

[pellicle]

no idea Paul, but fingers crossed this end that it works out fine.

Best Wishes

 

[Paul1972]

no idea Paul, but fingers crossed this end that it works out fine.

Best Wishes

Thanks Pellicle , hope you are well .

 

[pellicle]

Thanks Pellicle , hope you are well .

Doing well for a young man

Mine grew a little post surgery just up around the arch. It stabilized. I'm slated for another scan before the end of the year (CT with contrast). Hopefully it's unchanged again.

Best Wishes

 

[user 16827]

Hey Paul good to see you here.

pity about the news though, do you have any dimensions on the dilation?

be interesting to compare your previous size (post opp ) to now.

I had a slight worry when i was told my repair had dilated slightly, it turned out
to be a variation between different technicians, its all subjective this stuff.

Hopefully yours could be a similar situation, that's why i would be interested to find out
the size increase.

also was this seen on a MRI, CT, TEE or echo Paul, as this can add a layer of confusion depending which scan was used.

anyways good luck

 

[Paul1972]

Hey Paul good to see you here.

pity about the news though, do you have any dimensions on the dilation?

be interesting to compare your previous size (post opp ) to now.

I had a slight worry when i was told my repair had dilated slightly, it turned out
to be a variation between different technicians, its all subjective this stuff.

Hopefully yours could be a similar situation, that's why i would be interested to find out
the size increase.

also was this seen on a MRI, CT, TEE or echo Paul, as this can add a layer of confusion depending which scan was used.

anyways good luck

Hi Leadville, hope you are well , I’ve had ct scans and mri scans since my surgeries and nobody has ever mentioned a dilation before . After my last scan I had no feedback due to covid and the NHS being so busy . Then last month I had a telephone appointment and the consultant said there is a dilation just above where my repair was in the arch . It’s only 3.8mm and hopefully will stay that way , it just took me by surprise when they said dilation. I’m wondering if it was like that from surgery as my last one was so big at 8.2cm that it was like a balloon and that’s the size it is now after surgery, I’ve got no other measurements to go off really . I was just wondering if anyone else had a similar experience . Best wishes

 

[Paul1972]

Doing well for a young man

Mine grew a little post surgery just up around the arch. It stabilized. I'm slated for another scan before the end of the year (CT with contrast). Hopefully it's unchanged again.

Best Wishes

Best wishes for your upcoming scan Pellicle

 

[Chuck C]

Hi Paul,
Sorry to hear about your dilation. I don't have any experience with dilation in the aortic arch, but, if I am understanding correctly, it does sound like your current situaiton is the same as mine in terms of replacement parts, although we got there on slightly different pathways. Like you, I have a mechanical valve, dacron root and ascending aorta.
It does make me wonder how common anneurism of the arch is in our situations. I will be paying attention to my future scans for my aortic arch diameter and perhaps we can compare data.

Edited to add:
I just checked my last CT done 6 months ago:
Proximal Arch: 3 x 2.8cm
Distal Arch: 2.4 x 2.3cm

Best of luck for diameter stabilization and that this ends up being a non-issue for you.

 

[Paul1972]

Hi Paul,
Sorry to hear about your dilation. I don't have any experience with dilation in the aortic arch, but, if I am understanding correctly, it does sound like your current situaiton is the same as mine in terms of replacement parts, although we got there on slightly different pathways. Like you, I have a mechanical valve, dacron root and ascending aorta.
It does make me wonder how common anneurism of the arch is in our situations. I will be paying attention to my future scans for my aortic arch diameter and perhaps we can compare data.

Edited to add:
I just checked my last CT done 6 months ago:
Proximal Arch: 3 x 2.8cm
Distal Arch: 2.4 x 2.3cm

Best of luck for diameter stabilization and that this ends up being a non-issue for you.

Hi Chuck , thanks for the reply I hope you are doing well , I’ve got another scan at the beginning of next year and I will ask for the exact measurements and hopefully no changes for me and I will send you the measurements so we can compare . How are you finding things post surgery ?

 

[Chuck C]

Hi Chuck , thanks for the reply I hope you are doing well , I’ve got another scan at the beginning of next year and I will ask for the exact measurements and hopefully no changes for me and I will send you the measurements so we can compare . How are you finding things post surgery ?

I am approximately 5.5 months out and feeling completely normal. I am actually on the elliptical stepper pushing my HR right now this very moment as I send you this reply, lol.

For what it’s worth, I did a little due diligence after I read your post regarding aneurysms in the aortic arch. It sounds like this is the least common place for aortic aneurysm to occur with less than 10% of all aortic aneurysms in the arch. For us, the most common locations for aortic aneurysm have already been replaced. So, that may mean relatively low probability of an aneurysm in the arch in the future. Let’s hope so.

That being said, low probability is not zero. It’s like the discussion I had with my friend before he went into his valve surgery two months ago. He was nervous. I told him that he should relax and try to calm his nerves because valve surgery has a remarkably high success rate, about 99% for his situation. His reply to me was, yeah, but somebody’s that one percent.lol

sounds good, let’s keep track of our numbers and compare scan to scan.

 

[Paul1972]

I am approximately 5.5 months out and feeling completely normal. I am actually on the elliptical stepper pushing my HR right now this very moment as I send you this reply, lol.

For what it’s worth, I did a little due diligence after I read your post regarding aneurysms in the aortic arch. It sounds like this is the least common place for aortic aneurysm to occur with less than 10% of all aortic aneurysms in the arch. For us, the most common locations for aortic aneurysm have already been replaced. So, that may mean relatively low probability of an aneurysm in the arch in the future. Let’s hope so.

That being said, low probability is not zero. It’s like the discussion I had with my friend before he went into his valve surgery two months ago. He was nervous. I told him that he should relax and try to calm his nerves because valve surgery has a remarkably high success rate, about 99% for his situation. His reply to me was, yeah, but somebody’s that one percent.lol

sounds good, let’s keep track of our numbers and compare scan to scan.

Thanks for the information Chuck , good to hear your doing well , I’ve just come back from work on a building site so I’m on the sofa , not a stepper like you lol sending best wishes