AVR in a transplant patient????

[gijanet]

Hi, gang. I'm writing on behalf of a coworker and friend and hope someone out there can help. Her husband was very unexpectedly told last week that he needs an aortic valve replacement. It was quite a shock to them as her husband has never had any symptoms at all until a couple of weeks ago when he literally could not put one foot in front of the other. He just didn't have any energy at all. Henry is early fifties, has diabetes and has suffered numerous complications from that disease in the last fifteen years: blindness and double kidney and pancreas transplant. Despite that he has remained very active, works full-time and has the most wonderful sense of humor.

They met with the 5th surgeon yesterday (as they have been deferred and deferred) and the bombshell was dropped. Henry will lose his kidney because they will have to take him off of his immunosuppressant drugs (the kidney already has low function as he has had it 13 years); could possibly lose pancreas function, too; could lose a limb due to poor circulation; and could suffer a stroke due to clots breaking loose (for some reason, they suspect that Henry is at greater risk for this than the "usual" AVR patient. ) They gave him a 50/50 shot at even making it off the table, even without complications. Henry will not be able to have a mechanical valve as he cannot take coumadin, so homograft, porcine, or bovine will be used.

I have told Janice about this site, but I think that she and Henry are both on overload right now - just too much information to absorb at one time. Besides that, she thinks Henry is too unique to have anyone else out there in a similar situation. Even so, I encouraged her to join because you guys are so very, very supportive and compassionate and spiritual.

Please, if anyone is a transplant patient who has also undergone a valve replacement, please share your story.........or if you know of anyone........or you just have any insight or words of wisdom, please share them.

Thank you all so much. Hugs. Janet P.S. Yes, I KNOW I need to change my sig line............sigh! to "five surgeries under her shirt," but all y'all know that anyway. Hugs again.

 

[Nancy]

Your friend's husband surely has very, very difficult problems. He probably should go to the very best place that they can find.

Have they considered Cleveland Clinic? I think that would be one of the first places that come to most people's minds with extremely complicated problems.

 

[catwoman]

Janet:

Like Nancy, I'd be consulting the Cleveland Clinic. Or Mayo Clinic.

 

[RCB]

No other choice!

No other choice!

Ditto Nancy and Catwoman! Do it now!

 

[gijanet]

Sorry for the late thank you!!!

Sorry for the late thank you!!!

Thought I had already, but that's what I get for thinking. I will definitely pass this on to Janice. Thanks so much. J.

 

[Paul_N]

I'm with the rest of the gang, but obviously there are other places too. While I don't know much about Clevland Clinic or Mayo, other than what I've seen here, I am familiar with University of Chicago hospitals. It's where I had my RP performed by Dr. J. Forward the link below to your friend ... if nothing else, it will let them know that it can and has been done. Here's an excerpt:

"In May 1999, University of Chicago physicians performed the second triple transplant in the world in which three totally different organ systems were involved. Dr. Jeevanandam transplanted the heart in the critical heart, kidney, and liver transplant operation."

http://www.uchospitals.edu/physicians/valluvan-jeevanandam.html