AVR July 30th in Montreal

[coco]

It's over. Had my operation on July 30th to replace my aortic valve. They told me afterwards that they discovered that my ascending aorta (near the valve) had ballooned (sorry don't know the technical term) and become shaped like a pear and was ready to burst.

I am one lucky girl. Anyway, surgery ended up being around 6 hrs, everything went well. Got a St-Jude valve and a patch for the dissection they did on my aorta. Things are going well. My recovery went very well. Absolutely no complications. I was home one week later.

I am on Sintrom (anti-coagulant) and things seem fairly stable. My INR is 2.60 and I usually have to take 2 or 3 mg to maintain this. I have just purchased a home kit anti-coagulation machine which I should get this week so I can keep a close watch on things. My surgeon told me about the kit. He's very pro-kit for people my age (37).

What I find the most difficult, and I realize this will ease with time (from the posts I have been reading), is my rapid pulse 80-90 at rest (especially in the morning, after eating, minor activity) and the thumping in my chest. The doctors tell me that the thumping is probably because my heart is enlarged and this should ease within 6 - 12 months when my heart will shrink a little. Every time I take a deep breath I feel this extra thump thump. How annoying. Right between my breasts.

I was originally on a blood pressure lowering medication but my pulse was 80 over 48 (quite low) so I called my surgeon and he told me to stop taking it (lopressor and vasotec) after 2.5 weeks. Now I have a normal pressure of 105 over 68 approx. without the medication (more energy).

I'm a little impatient to get back to normal but I also realize that healing takes time and that I underwent a major surgery. I'm just grateful to be alive and to continue to take care of my two kids (age 2 and 5) and family. Sometimes I wonder if the valve will stop working or if the graff will fall off, is this insane?? am I totally paranoid?? but hey this is all new for me so I suppose I'll allow myself a little bit of insanity for a while. I'm otherwise in a pretty good mood. I hope I don't get this depression that lots of people seem to write about. Who knows I'm only 4 weeks post-surgery. Maybe it's because my condition is congenital (from birth) and so I had quite a lot of time to prepare. As well, this is my second operation. Hope it's my last but no guarantees.

I have had a lot of help with the kids. My in-laws live with us so my mother in law takes care of my daughter and my son goes to prekindergarten. Yes, I am lucky.

Thanks to all those that contribute to this forum. It has been super helpful. Hope I can help someone else. Would love to hear from you.

Caroline in Montreal

 

[fyrfytr]

Welcome Caroline

Welcome Caroline

Glad to hear you are doing so good, just don't over due it for awhile. I also have an aortic valve replacement and an aortic aneurysm repair and I also have a fast heart rate that they are controlling with a lopressor. I take a quarter of a pill 12.5 mg twice a day and I have a very low blood pressure. That is why they only give me the quarter of a pill. It is nice that you have had a lot of help with family. Are you going to go to cardiac rehab? That has really helped me out.
Again Welcome to this Great Site.

Dave
_____________________________
Surgery: 4/21/03
Aortic Aneurysm Repair
AVR, with a St. Jude Mechanical
Heart Center of the Rockies

 

[ccrawford]

Hi Caroline - Welcome to VR.com. Isn't it nice to have all the surgery business behind you. You will continue to feel a little better every day, and some of those worries you have now will start to diminish as you gain confidence in your repaired heart. I try to walk at least a mile every day before breakfast and I think that has helped me progress faster. (April valve replacement and single bypass) I hear my valve only when I'm trying to sleep on my side, and it doesn't annoy me the way it did right after surgery. With two little ones, you'll get a lot of exercise every day, but try to take some time for yourself and go for a walk that will keep your heart rate elevated for at least 30 minutes. After a few weeks of this, you'll be amazed at how you start to feel better. Montreal is a beautiful city so you have a great place to go for walks !Chris

 

[Nancy]

Hi Caroline-

What wonderful news. You sound super. Everything you've expressed is normal for this kind of surgery.

It is also probably normal to worry about things stopping working or coming apart.

I'll tell you a cute story about a friend who had to have a total knee replacement. She had been walking with her bad knee for a long time. After her replacement, she was so worried that her legs were different lengths, and that the surgeon had measured incorrectly. I told her that if he was in the habit of making people into mountain goats with one leg shorter than the other, word would get around and he'd be out of business.

As it turned out, everything was just fine. The feeling she had was because she had had an abnormal gait for so long that she had no idea of what it would feel like to stand straight.

Physical therapy took care of any lingering fears, and she walking straight now.

Continued success with your recovery.

 

[Granbonny]

Hi Caroline

Hi Caroline

Welcome to our wonderful site. I, too, had open-heart surgery from an Aneurysm.,,The balloning from aorta.Boy, was I lucky they found it. My wonderful brother-in-law died 11 years almost to my surgery date from one that burst. Left my sister with 2 teenage boys to raise alone. He was age 50. I am age 63..did great after surgery 1 1/2 years now..and still doing great. I have the mech valve and home-test. Always in range with my INR. You will have good days and bad days.. After about 6 months should level out to all good days. DO NOT lift heavy clothes out of Washer, clean windows, ect. You will find you will have sharp pains..only last a minute but very scary. Takes that sternum a LONG time to heal.. My depression came about 4 weeks after surgery... because my age 11 year old Grandson (who I helped raise from age 2 weeks) could not understand why I couldn't come to see him play little league ball....I kept telling him..Granbonny needs a little more time..and now..He cannot keep up with me. Go to all his activities..have 5 boys over for weekend spend the night parties. ect.. Take one day at a time..then a week and soon you will feel like your old self. Bonnie

 

[coco]

Ascending Aortic Aneurysm - question

Ascending Aortic Aneurysm - question

Thanks for all the encouragement. I was just wondering why my doctor couldn't see the ascending aneurysm? No problem diagnosing my very leaky valve. Is this normal? Is there a special exam that can see in this area? What are your experiences. They told me it was impossible to see the aneurysm pre-surgery. Just wondering. Thanks again.

 

[ccrawford]

Coco - I'm pretty sure aneurysms in some locations can be detected by an echo cardiogram because the flow of blood shows up differently (slower) at the aneurysm. Part of the problem may be the fact that because of the screwy way that health insurers have set specifications (and reimbursements), there is not a routine check for aneurysms despite the fact that they are fairly common.

 

[Ross]

CAT scans will detect most aneurysms. That is how they found mine. They missed mine in the echo and other tests. They saw it plain as day on the CATscan though.

 

[Granbonny]

Caroline

Caroline

As Chris stated..aneurysms have no symptoms.Mine was found after several months of trying to find out why I was burping. Started the week after my Mom died.. Saw the gastro man, the ent man and my pcp..Finally went to a Cardiologist. Had an echo and chest x-ray. He did a cath on me on Friday and found it. Surgery Monday.But burping had nothing to do with it Still do it..called aerophagia..swallowing air and not knowing it.. I have been told it started with stress and will stop someday.My age 89 year old dad has an aneurysm in his stomach area but will not operate on him. It could burst tomorrow or years from now. Never bothers him. Still keeps house, cooks and cuts grass ( In Alabama heat and humid) Buried his age 96 year old sister today. Died from natural causes. Had to laugh. he said his younger sister. age 87 was on a cane. Back to aneurysms..I know no test other than a cath.. My brother-in-law was sitting up in bed when his burst...they tried to operate to repair but died about 12 hours after operation from loss of blood.Bonnie

 

[Granbonny]

Caroline

Caroline

By the way..Is the Sintrom you are taking like what we take in America. coumadin? Bonnie

 

[Creed3]

Hi Coco!
The docs totally missed my dissection and aneurysm. It wasn't caught with my echo. The only thing the echo caught was the moderate to severe leak in the aortic valve. Later on, with third opinion, my cardio said things just didn't add up and did another echo right in his office. It showed something going on with blood where there should be none. He suspected a dissection/anuerysm, but had to do an MRI to confirm it. The MRI showed everything that was going on. That is when they sent me to Cleveland to have surgery right away. There are tests out there that can pick up aneurysms, it is just that the docs don't seem to use everything at their disposal. I suppose a lot has to do with insurances.
I'm glad to hear things are going so well for you now. Take care of yourself and keep us informed on how you are doing.

Gail

 

[fyrfytr]

Hey Coco,
The way they found mine was they were doing a catheterization checking my aortic valve and found the ascending aortic aneurysm. so yes there are other ways of finding them like the others have said.
Take Care

Dave
__________________________________
Surgery: 4/21/03
Aortic Aneurysm Repair
AVR,with a St. Jude Mechanical
Heart Center of the Rockies

 

[Georgia]

Hi Coco

Hi Coco

Welcome to the site, and congratulations on your surgery. Ain't it wonderful that it's over???? And you should have nice weather for recuperation - some nice strolls, etc.

We're going to be in your neck of the woods next month - we're taking a cruise from NYC to Montreal. Don't have hardly any time in Montreal, unfortunately, but we've about decided to take a really long vacation in eastern Canada next year, as we'll both be retired then (well, most likely I will be). Then we can do Montreal and the Laurentians (I used to ski at Mte. Tremblant and Grey Rocks when I was a kid) and the Maritimes.

Stay with us - we value everyone's experiences.

 

[Jane]

Hi from Wales, Coco!

I had a very rapid heartbeat after my aortic valve replacement, about 120 bpm, and even now it still hovers between 88 - 100 bpm at rest. In April, the cardiologist said it was because I was not fit (very true!) and did not prescribe any medication for it. Well, I AM very well and pretty fit now and I still have the sinus tachycardia. I hope, when I see him in October if I still have the st, after increasing my fitness still further, that he may prescribe something to slow it down a bit.

I used to get an unpleasant thumping as well, with the tachycardia, but this has all but gone, except if I am very tired.

I found making sure my breathing was slow, relaxed and diaphragmatic helped a lot. Seemed to help with the pain too.

Yes, you have got a nice time of year for your recuperation. The weather here was foul when I came out of hospital last December, and it was difficult to get out and walk as much as I wanted.

It sounds like you are doing really well. Look after yourself at this important time and make sure you rest enough as well as exercise. All good wishes to you.

 

[coco]

My echos didn't detect any aneurysm but the cath actually detected a mild one. Seems the aneurysm was so close to the aortic valve that it was very difficult to see the seriousness of it. I had an MRI about 2 years ago and everything was ok so maybe I developed it in the last year and a half. This is when I really felt my health decline.

For those that asked, Sintrom is an anti-coagulant that is commonly prescribed in Europe and Canada. I know that Coumadin is more popular in the US. The main difference with it and Coumadin is that Sintrom is out of the blood in 24 hrs and Coumadin takes 48 hrs.

Also, health care is covered by the public health care system in Canada not by private insurance. I do have private insurance anyway, through work, to cover things other than doc appointments and hospital related treatment (medicine, dentist, therapies, etc..).

Take care everyone. I'm actually getting used to my new valve but yes, I know I have to take it easy. Trust me, I can feel the difference after a whole weekend with my pre-school kids. Where's the Tylenol! Au revoir!

 

[Anne-Marie]

Hi Coco,

Welcome to the forum! I grew up on the West Island of Montreal (Pointe Claire, then Pierrefonds) and moved to Ottawa in '87 after I married.

Georgia,

You have to let me know your traveling plans when you head down east! We have a farmhouse on Prince Edward Island. We didn't get there this summer because of me, but next year we're planning to make up for it. I would love it if our paths somehow crossed!