Consult with Surgeon

[liam13]

Well, I met with the cardiac surgeon I'd decided to go with after my research today. He viewed a copy of my echo from 6/11. I left with information I had not expected to get. It was good information, just unexpected. He did note that he couldn't explain why the LV was enlarged, but given the level of my leakage that did not explain why the LV enlarged. He thought maybe a viral infection at some point in the past. He said if I was a family member of his he would hold off on the surgery and just watch the LV every 6 months. If I had the surgery he would strongly recommend the St. Jude and doesn't trust the On-X yet. Given my age 47 in a week, he would steer clear of a tissue replacement, which I concur with. He suggested changing from a beta blocker to an Ace inhibitor, and thought that may bring the size of the LV down. . . which would reduce the leakage. . . which could possibly push surgery off "several years". He also didn't think the lightheadedness and chest discomfort is cardiac in nature, given what he saw. I felt really good about how he presented himself, his apparent depth of knowledge and ability to present it to me. I felt a good level of trust, and don't feel compelled to pursue a second opinion right now. I'm seeing my cardiologist tomorrow to talk to him about changing meds and about the enlarged LV and doing another echo in 6 months, instead of 12 months. What a day. . . still feel a little bit disoriented by the information. But overall I feel great about it. If I can postpone the surgery, I'm happy to do that. This site is so great. Liam

 

[Phyllis]

Glad you got a consult with the surgeon and obviously came away feeling very good about your choice. Best wishes to you and I hope you are in the waiting room for a long time!

 

[WayneGM]

I am very glad your consultation with the surgeon went went well and you are feeling good about it. I hope you are able to stay in the waiting room, but if OHS is ultimately necessary, rest assured it's not the end of the world, and we're here to help you through it. Best wishes.

 

[psalmist]

What all did you hear about your valve leakage. I haven't had my consult yet but will soon. I am hoping to hear something like what you heard. Congrats by the way. I am only thirty one and would love to wait until I was in my forties for the surgery. But we will see. God bless. Seth

 

[catwoman]

Liam:

That's good news.

However ... do keep a very close eye on your situation. Things can change very quickly, and doctors can have differences of opinion -- which can be confusing and/or misleading to us.

My husband saw a surgeon March 27, who said he should get into the OR within 6 months to ensure a mitral valve repair. So we decided to wait until June because my mom was already set up for knee surgery May 22.
Three weeks later, April 16, we saw a 2nd surgeon, who said the valve was repairable and could be done via port access. The next day (April 17) our cardiologist rechecked John & said the valve was deteriorating further and to get into surgery PDQ. That day I set up John's surgery for May 10.

Pre-op, my husband claimed he didn't have any symptoms I kept asking about. Post-op, he realizes he did have them.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Liam,

When my Aortic Stenosis was diagnosed, one cardiologist recommended surgery at that time. A second cardiologist, in consulatation with a local surgeon, suggested an ACE inhibitor in hopes of postponing surgery for 3 to 5 years.

ONE year later, my AS progressed to the level where surgery is generally recommended. I believe I got to surgery 'just in time'.

Bottom Line: Get copies of ALL of your Echocardiograms and chart the results on a spread sheet. I would encourage you to have regular echocardiograms every 6 Months and to watch the results for ANY changes. Note that many Cardiologists seem to feel they can know everything they need to know from your LATEST echo. As an Engineer, I prefer to look for trends and changes!

'AL Capshaw'