Constant fear of death

[ElectLive]

In terms of heart surgery, after someone who had heart surgery on the aortic root or aortic valve or both, is it true that the live expectancy is that of a normal healthy person? I just cant get my head around that, my cardiologist tells me that this condition, if it ever goes worse, is treatable and fixable, but then I have to get follow up all my life! Maybe I'm not taking things into perspective here.(maybe I should open another thread on this)

Please see here: http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?40446-BAV-and-Normal-Life-Expectancy

 

[OldManEmu]

Malteser
I find Dick is my inspiration

My normal life expectancy was 73 when I had the surgery(1967) and I am now 76 and very much alive and kicking

I have had two AVR's and am very much alive with no health related issues after having my second AVR in 2011. I can look forward to 10+ years before a redo is required by which time I will be 60+. Given that I have no other health issues and live a healthy lifestyle I should be a low risk surgery when a redo is required in my 60's. AVR surgery is not usually high risk unless accompanied by co morbidities until 70+ years of age. Risk for <70 patients isn’t significant unless the patient has co morbidities. Malteser is it surgery that you find scary or the risk of sudden death before surgery or not surviving surgery? My analytical brain likes to break issues down to their components.

 

[ElectLive]

I saw a surgeon today whom I had sent my echo and CT images earlier this week. He walked in and said "what are you doing here, I reviewed your records and there is nothing wrong with you?". I further explained my concern over the 4.2 root and 3.5 AA, to which he responded 4.2 is a mild dilation. We don't get ready for action till the 5-5.5 range. He told me I am suffering from VOMIT, victim of medical imaging technology...

I've also been told that the sample set they have data on is mostly people whom NEEDED intervention. If you were a mechanic at a Honda dealer, you'd see a lot of Hondas needing repair, but 98% of them are on the road trouble free.

I found this info a bit comforting and hopefully you and Roxx do too...

I missed this last time, great post Chris. The comment of your surgeon and the data set analogy are just perfect.

 

[ElectLive]

OldManEmu - To echo your point even further, at experienced heart centers, surgery even beyond 70+ years in otherwise healthy individuals can be very safe as well. There was an article in the Cleveland Clinic Journal a few years ago that summarized AVR results by age group in the absence of coronary artery disease (granted that's a big IF as you get older, but still certainly possible) and the stats for 70 and up were fairly astonishing:

For primary AVR, mortality rate of 1.6% age 70 and above and 1.4% age 80 and above. For reoperative AVR, mortality rate of 2.9% age 70 and above and 5.6% age 80 and above.

 

[dick0236]

......and the stats for 70 and up were fairly astonishing:

For primary AVR, mortality rate of 1.6% age 70 and above and 1.4% age 80 and above. For reoperative AVR, mortality rate of 2.9% age 70 and above and 5.6% age 80 and above.

Thanks ElectLive, good to know this, just in case my valve goes south on me when I get old....er, and I have to have a reop(?). Incidently, I recall the docs telling me that the mortality rate for me(primary AVR) was about 7% when I had the surgery at age 31. We've come a long way.

 

[themalteser]

I all,

All the comments that you've all raised, are all fantastic facts, I thought that my life expectancy is impaired one way or another, perhaps, because my life insurance application, as most of you are probably aware, have declined me, saying that only 60% survive 5 years after op.. (I raised a thread about this before) .

I'm so pleased I found this forum! Thank you everyone for your support, it's amazing! Elective, thank you for proactively, share with us relevant and complete information.

Oldmanemu, thank you for your post, it's very reassuring. I find scary both issues, sudden death due to rupture or dissection, and afraid of heart surgery, that I have no control over what they are doing to me, such as stopping my heart, and cutting pieces of me, than I worry that my heart will either never restart, or I get a stroke or some other cardiac catastrophe, and I die! ... Also, I worry that I'll be in excruciating pain after! ... I know it's all anxiety, but the fears I have, and the symptoms that comes with it are very real!

Elective, thank you for sharing relevant data, it's really encouraging, please don't stop!

Dick, 7% mortality back then? Wow, I never realised that at all! I thought it was Much higher!! I'm so naive!!

 

[dick0236]

All the comments that you've all raised, are all fantastic facts, I thought that my life expectancy is impaired one way or another, perhaps, because my life insurance application, as most of you are probably aware, have declined me, saying that only 60% survive 5 years after op.. (I raised a thread about this before) .

I'm so pleased I found this forum! Thank you everyone for your support, it's amazing! Elective, thank you for proactively, share with us relevant and complete information.

Oldmanemu, thank you for your post, it's very reassuring. I find scary both issues, sudden death due to rupture or dissection, and afraid of heart surgery, that I have no control over what they are doing to me, such as stopping my heart, and cutting pieces of me, than I worry that my heart will either never restart, or I get a stroke or some other cardiac catastrophe, and I die! ... Also, I worry that I'll be in excruciating pain after! ... I know it's all anxiety, but the fears I have, and the symptoms that comes with it are very real!

Elective, thank you for sharing relevant data, it's really encouraging, please don't stop!
!!

I was in the life insurance business for a long time and I never heard of the "60% survival rate for 5 yrs". It is true that life insurance would be difficult to get shortly before, or soon after surgery, but after awhile it is obtainable, although probably at a "rated up" premium because there is an added risk, albeit not much added risk, after a relatively short time.

I know the fears you express because I had them too. The fear of "sudden death" was the one that finally convinced me to have the surgery. My docs told me that I had a "one in four chance of dropping dead with absolutely no warning"....that one did the trick in convincing me to have the surgery.....'cause I didn't like them odds(LOL).

 

[sam04]

I am going in for my TOE procedure tomorrow. But I had to say this, in all conversations I've had with my GP who I do trust greatly, he rightly said we are all different, there is a little bit of mind over matter in there, there is no definite lifespan and depending on your age a second one is possible and his list went on. He never lies to me no matter how bad the news is.

I am a fact person and I like to know every little detail of what is being planned. I do believe it is my choice to go ahead with a procedure or not, odd though that may sound.

But tonight, I'm sitting her, cursing 'cos I can't have my cup of tea after midnight and I have not even had dinner yet and it's 23.00pm but I had pleasure in watching my foxes that come to my garden at night and was more worried that if they keep me in overnight who will feed my little night time animals?

Maybe I'll get a result tomorrow, that would be great. I'm impatient by nature - still not looking forward to falling out with the consultant because it will come to that. I don't like him which doesn't help. If someone on this list had not explained the procedure I'd be going in with no knowledge and I think that is bad even for the NHS. 'night all. Sam

 

[chaconne]

I'm with Marcia and pgammo,

The fact that all the good things in life can be taken away from you by death is a reason to seek something that is permanent. Humans all seem to long for life after death. To me this is strong evidence that a Creator exists and has placed this desire in us. We have to seek this Creator and invest in His plan, rather than putting all our hope in this temporary life. I'm convinced that this creator is none other than Jesus Christ.

In the last 3 years I've been through stage-3 Melanoma and valve replacement surgery. I have 3 kids, and really grieved and cried, over my predicament and the possibility that I could die, or they could. I can honestly say that going though these things made my faith in Christ stronger, and a lot less fearful of losing things dear to me. Not because I won't lose them, but because I will be gaining something so much infinitely better.

http://www.reasons.org