Aortic Valve Replacement plus ?

[Carolyn Russo]

I am scheduled to have a heart cath on 7/11. The doctor informed me I would not go home I would stay in the hospital so they could monitor me over night. It was strongly suggested I have my open heart surgery the next day 7/12. I went into shock and stated I would like to think about that a bit. I had another appointment on 6/28 - the day I was told all this by the cath doc. - with my general practitioner. She immediately stated - hold it right there - you must meet the surgeon and you must have additional support with this - too many decisions are taking place in one day for such an important surgery. I understood I didn't have months or a year and it had to be done soon - the guy was good but I think he preferred to work on men and not women.
Anyway, I met the surgeon and I agreed to schedule the surgery for 7/12 but, I must make a choice for an aortic valve - I need some guidance here and would appreciate any comments or suggestions you might be able to share with me.
I'm a 62 year old female and work every day of my life at a very stressful job - this too will change. The arteries in my nect are 55-65 percent blocked and the surgeon wants me to do something about that but we both agreed after the heart surgery. Do any of you have a comment on this situation?

I sure do need some guidance - Thanks in advance,
Carolyn

 

[PJmomrunner]

Hi Carolyn:

Welcome aboard! It's unfortunate you have need for such a website as this but, since you do, I'm glad you've found us! I haven't personally had to make the ultimate determination as to which valve to choose as I haven't had surgery yet--I'm a long term waiting room occupant.

Weekends tend to be a bit slow around here, but folks will eventually trickle in with welcome greetings and advice. In the meantime, perhaps the best analysis available on the subject of valve choice on VR.com (and maybe even on the web!) can be found at the following link:

http://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14330

Good luck!

 

[WayneGM]

Welcome to the VR Community, Carolyn. Sorry for the circumstances but glad you found us. I can't offer any insights on valve selection as I had a mitral valve repair. However, I am sure others will arrive shortly with their opinions. In the interim try shifting through the Valve Selection forum. From what I've seen, I think you'll find that choosing a valve depends largely on your specific situation, personal preferences, and the experience of your surgeon with specific valves or procedures. Best wishes.

 

[Granbonny]

Welcome, Carolyn

Welcome, Carolyn

Carolyn/I have been e-mailing one another..I am glad to see.....You finally posted.. .......I have told her over/over..she is not alone in this..that many of us will be here to welcome her..and help with any questions she may ask...I am sure many will..Sundays are slow..but we have Monday /Tuesday..to post to her questions........Ask away, Carolyn... We are here for you..(remember to hit the Reply to thread at top.)I know you have some problems with your computer..Bonnie

 

[Granbonny]

Carolyn

Carolyn

The Post reply..at top..just want to make sure you know.. Bonnie

 

[Phyllis]

Hi Carolyn. So glad that you decided to post and know that you will find lots of support here. I will put you on the calendar for the 12th. You are at that in- between age when it comes to a valve- you could decide to go mechanical or tissue. Please take the time to thoroughly read the valve selection section and then come back with any questions you may have. What did the surgeon suggest? Hope you keep posting and let us help you over this mountain. It may seem unsurmountable to you right now, but if you read the post op threads you will see that it is not and there are many members here to attest to that!

 

[Nancy]

Hi Carolyn-

Welcome to VR.com. This is the best place to be with valve problems. Gee--It sounds like your going in for a BIG tune-up. Are they going to do your neck too while you're in there?

Thousands and thousands and thousands, maybe millions and millions of people have great results with both surgeries, so I know you will be OK.

It must have been the shock of your life to get hit between the eyes like that--So much for THAT guy's bedside manor. Some docs just don't think that the impact of how they say things, can affect people who don't have their medical knowledge. They are doing this every day all day long, several times over "B-o-r-i-n-g!, for them, that is. For the poor person who just heard the news out of the blue, it sounds like the end of the world. I assure you it isn't. As a matter of fact, it is a new beginning for you.

So hang in there and just go with the flow and let the experts do what has to be done. We'll all be right here trying to help you as you go through this.

 

[susieq14]

Hello Carolyn,
Sending you prayers and positive thoughts as you deal with all that you need to sort out in such a short time. I'm sorry but I'm in the "waiting room" and have no experience in valve selection yet. I do hope that you find some good answers here and I wish you all the best.

Take Care!

God Bless!

 

[Mary]

Welcome to VR, Carolyn.

As others have said, you've had alot thrown at you at one time. Please read the threads about valve selection, and know that you can't make a wrong decision. It's basically just a matter of choice.

 

[Ross]

Hi Carolyn, I see you've met the crew.

That is a whole lot being pushed too fast. I gather from what's been said that this is rather serious and needs to be addressed asap. Many of us have gone before you and were here to talk to you about it now, so you are not alone and need not feel that way either.

As far as valves go, there are tissue and mechanical valves. Each have their pros and cons. I would urge you to read tobagotwos sticky thread at the top of the valve selection forum to help in your decision.

Welcome to the forums!

 

[andrew]

Dear Carolyn

Dear Carolyn

welcome,

it is a very stressful thing you are dealing with. some initial advice

1) mech vs tissue - at your age i'd go with the tissue as it will probably last a lifetime and avoid coumadin. however, that is not certain so i agree with all the other posters about the great value of the stickies to review. it's a decision only you can make.

2) define the problem - it is not clear to me what is driving the timing of your surgery? is it that your aortic valve is in bad shape and needs replacing quickly and/or do you have an ascending aortic aneurysm as well? in many of us, it's the aneurysm that drives the timing as opposed to the valve.

but bottom line - try to figure out if this is "must do and soon" or if you can take another month or two for contemplation and investigation.

3) find a specialist that YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH. there's much evidence especially in cardiology that the mind body connection is real and you will do much better if you are more confident and feel more assured in your decision.

4) if possible, go to a top ranked heart hospital. that said, many people have excellent outcomes in community hospitals. but for something very important i'd err on the side of a center with ample volume and experience if at all possible.

5) there are many kinds of cardiac surgery - i had no idea when i entered this process. make sure your surgeon has experience with YOUR PROBLEM and not some other area of cardiology.

5) NURSING COUNTS - NURSING COUNTS - NURSING COUNTS - it makes such a tremendous difference to be in a place where the nursing staff is well-trained and attentive. there is enormous benefit to being in a unit that only does cardiac care. (in this regard, i came home tuesday from mass general and was very happy with it).

6) STRESS REDUCTION STRESS REDUCTION - so very important to a good outcome. i know what i said to this "how the H#$%l can i relax when i'm going to have open heart surgery??????!!!!" - that said boy oh boy it really helped me to listen to relaxation tapes and prepare myself. 2 books

"prepare for surgery, heal faster" by Peggy Huddleston was really great. sure some of it seemed a bit hokey but it really worked. it comes with an audio cd to listen to . it's the best book i found explicitly for surgery and stress reduction though i'm sure there are other good ones.

the second book that i am halfway through is very interesting written by a cardiologist who lost both parents to heart disease. she was initially very skeptical of anything other than the science but ends up coming around completely. it's called "the heart speaks. a cardiologist revels the secret language of healing" and is written by Mimi Guarneri m.d.

hang in there, take a deep breath, you'll get through this. welcome to the forum and keep the questions coming