gradient decreased 2 months after surgery

[markp66]

Hi all.

I've just had my check up a few months after surgery and everything seems great. My INR has also been constant for 7 weeks (2.2-2.4) which is also great (especially after hearing how some people seem to have difficulties in controlling their INR).

Anyway...

5 days after my op they did an echo and my gradient was 19. After the echo they did today it is 10. I was told that this would happen as my heart becomes more accustomed to the new valve + root. Straight after surgery the heart still thinks you have the bad valve and takes a while to adjust... Has anyone had the same experience of their gradient falling after a second echo a few months from their post op echo?

 

[Jason]

I had my surgery in March of 2011, and my doc waits until a full year after surgery to do a follow up echo. I am looking forward to seeing how much my changes in diet and valve will have on the numbers.

 

[bradvo]

Jason, did you get a baseline echo to compare the 1 year echo, I'm pretty sure that is what Mark is comparing .

 

[Lynlw]

I had my surgery in March of 2011, and my doc waits until a full year after surgery to do a follow up echo. I am looking forward to seeing how much my changes in diet and valve will have on the numbers.

You havent had any echos after surgery? I always find it interesting how different places/docotrs do things

 

[Jason]

Ah, yes, I did have a baseline echo at the one month checkup, but was in A-Fib at the time so it wasn't too valuable. I did not have one at six months, and will have another one at 1 year. I was hoping to get one at 6 months, and was surprised when my checkup was about 10 minutes long. I was thinking that I would be taken off of metoprolol at the six month as well, but there was no change. We didn't even talk about possibly taking me off of it in the future, which I need to ask about.