Do I Really Need Surgery

[Karlynn]

Welcome Michael! I've been away on a short vacation so am just seeing your posts for the first time. So I won't say what's already been stated - you are ready! Sounds like you are getting your bases covered and are already getting lots of good thumbs-up for doctors and hospitals.

If you should decide to go mechanical - we have a wonderful Coumadin (warfarin - generic name) expert as one of our members who will give you the confidence of living a very active life on Coumadin. I had my mitral valve replaced almost 14 years ago with a St. Jude mechanical and at 46 years-old now, life IS good. Al Lodwick (our esteemed expert) has a web site www.warfarinfo.com that can answer any questions you have.

You are a very healthy, active man, so your surgery should go very well. Let your wife know that we have many spouses and Significant Others that are members here too, so if she has any questions we'd love to have her join to.

 

[SHIRL73]

I am a 38 yr male that was recently diagnosed with Severe AI. About 12 months ago, I accidentally discovered that my blood pressure was extremely high.. about 210/100.

My family doc put me on Norvasc to lower my pressure. About two months later, I was suffering from chest pain and was admitted into the local hospital. I failed the stress test. I was cathed and no blockages were found. Later, a heart echo determined that I had a leaking bicuspid aortic valve. Moderate 2+. EF 62%

Fast forward to May 2005, I have another heart echo, and my bicuspid aortic valve is now leaking severely 4+ and my left ventricle is enlarged [6.2 cm]. My aortic root is also enlarged [3.9 cm]. EF 60% . Chest X ray also shows my heart is enlarged

The cardiologist asks me how I feel. .. I felt great.. Strong as an Ox.

Now, its September 2005..Labor day weekend.
I work around the yard and go atving.. however.. I notice that I get short of breath really easy. Even washing the cars, I notice that I keep getting winded. That night, I wake up gasping for air. I have to walk around for I while and eventually feel better.

I go to the cardiologist the next morning. He orders a cath. The prognosis is the aortic valve is severely leaking. He recommends AVR and refers me to surgeon. The surgeon also recommends that I have the valve replaced.

If I wait, my heart will be come more enlarged along with my aortic root. I don?t want to injure my heart beyond recovery but don?t want to have the surgery too early.

The dr. says it time now? What do y?all think?

I had my valve replaced June 7th this year and it took until the middle of August before I felt good as I was plaqued with pneumonia. Now I feel like a new person. My energy has increased ten fold. My colour is better, (so my family tells me) I am 73 and earlier this week I thought to myself, if this energy level keeps up I am going to have to look for a job, I don't have enough to do.

So yes, have it done. You just have no idea how tired and worn out you are. The operation is a serious one but compared to a hysterectomy I would have it again anytime. The pain is less after the first few days. Just be sure you take the time needed to recover.

Good luck.

 

[John Cochran]

Consequences of waiting

Consequences of waiting

I've been away from this forum for way too long, and just today popped in and ran across this thread. I'd like to share with you the consequences of waiting "too long" since I lived through it (barely).

My AVR was three years ago in June, 2002. My surgery was delayed for several months for a variety of reasons, which aren't important. What is important are the results of waiting beyond the point where you are now.

Once your heart begins to decline, the rate of deterioration is non-linear. That is, the rate of deterioration accelerates rapidly. The body is trying to do all sorts of things to make up for the leaking valve. The left ventricle increases in size. Calcification of the valve and the aortic root accelerates. A set of conditions arise which makes sudden cardiac death a real possibility.

At the time of my over-due surgery, my aortic root had calcified to the point where the calcific deposits were severe, requiring mechanical debridement during the surgery. This structurally weakened the place where the new valve (a CryoLife Synergraft homograft) was to be sewn in. To make a long story short, the surgeons (yes, they needed more than one since my surgery ended up lasting 14 hours) could not get the bleeding to stop, in spite of the most advanced techniques and even the use of bio-glue. In total, I received 23 units of blood. I had been on a heart-lung machine way longer than anyone ever should be, and my family was told my chances of surviving were quite a bit less than 50 percent. I woke up three days after the surgery, unaware of all that had happened. My breathing was severely impeded because, even though the bleeding had eventually stopped, there were pools of blood in the space where my lungs were supposed to expand. They removed those pools of blood with a catheter through my back...and I had to be awake for those procedures.

Immediately after surgery, my ejection fraction (the percentage of blood being pumped from my left ventricle) was less than 20 percent. No one thought at the time that my heart could recover.

Fast-forward three years. I put myself through extensive cardiac therapy (outpatient program), continued an exercise program to this day, got my weight exactly where it should be, and eventually achieved a full recovery. Today I do whatever I want physically, and take no meds except a baby aspirin. This outcome had an awful lot of luck associated with it (along with good doctors and staff).

If you don't want this kind of drama in your life, get yourself scheduled for surgery ASAP.

Best wishes to you and your family during this trying time.

--John Cochran

 

[tony_stewart_fan]

yeA man you really need to get that done....even if they say you could wait...why would you want to, get it done and over with and do not let it have a chance to get beyound repair.