Has anyone had AVR with no symptoms?

[Iang]

Hello,

I am 36 and have been followed my whole life for a bicuspid (or otherwise malformed) aortic valve. A few months ago I was told my aortic stenosis was severe based on the echo. My gradient was high (I think the measurement is 5 m/s).

At the time I was having some shortness of breath but since then it has completely gone away--in retrospect I think it was related to a cold. Now I have absolutely no symptoms. I feel great!

Has anyone been operated on with NO symptoms? Is it common for doctor to recommend AVR with NO symptoms?

Doctors and others have said--"Oh you'll be surprised that you feel better afterwards and never realized that you actually DID have symptoms." I don't believe this line of thinking at all since I truly feel healthier than most people I know--I can walk up more flights of stairs than others without feeling out of breath. I can exercise and not feel winded. I am in excellent shape and don't get out of breath after exertion. Meanwhile, my friends and relatives who do have various symptoms are not about to have open heart surgery!

Any thoughts?

Thank you!

 

[Heart Of The Sunrise]

I consider myself very lucky to be alive. 10-9-12 at my yearly physical for the first time my doctor did an EKG. This uncovered LBBB ( left bundle branch block.) This led to other tests which uncovered my BAV. I was completely asymptomatic. When discovered my aortic aneurysm was 4.5 CM.....months later ..just before surgery it had grown to 4.9 cm . I had absolutely no symptoms. Had I not had surgery I would be gone my aorta would have blown summer of 2013 or sooner. Surgery was 3-18-13.

 

[Paleowoman]

Has anyone been operated on with NO symptoms? Is it common for doctor to recommend AVR with NO symptoms?

Doctors and others have said--"Oh you'll be surprised that you feel better afterwards and never realized that you actually DID have symptoms." I don't believe this line of thinking at all since I truly feel healthier than most people I know!

Hi - I had my bicuspid aortic valve replaced when I had no symptoms. I really didn't have any symptoms at all. I was being followed with six monthly echos the last three years before surgery. The echo when I was referred for surgery I nearly cancelled as I had never felt better and fitter ! I was really surprised that the cardiologist was referring me for surgery. The stenosis was in the severe/critical range. I delayed surgery for three months and of course I felt pretty anxious about it, but I still felt extremely fit and well physically. The day before admission for surgery I did a six mile walk and lifted weights. Following surgery it took me a full year to get back to the level of fitness I had prior to surgery. I don't know how common this is except I'm in Europe and I understand they prefer to operate before symptoms develop as symptoms mean that the heart may not recover so well....ummm.....

 

[dick0236]

It's been a long time but I can't recall serious, if any, symptoms. Like you, I knew I had a murmur for years growing up. I went to a doctor because I was not feeling OK...but I wasn't having serious symptoms. They immediately sent me to a Cardio who, after a couple tests, told me my condition was very serious and recommended immediate surgery as I was risking "sudden death". I put it off for about 10 months....but then I "bit the bullet" and had the surgery. Don't remember feeling that much better after the surgery than I did before the surgery. I think age has a lot to do with symptoms having a major effect on identifying serious heart disease. I was 31 at my surgery and my youth hid how hard my heart was working to overcome the diseased valve. My philosophy is "get the surgery a little to soon.....rather than a little to late".

 

[Paleowoman]

IWhen discovered my aortic aneurysm was 4.5 CM.....months later ..just before surgery it had grown to 4.9 cm . I had absolutely no symptoms. Had I not had surgery I would be gone my aorta would have blown summer of 2013 or sooner.

Hi Heart of the Sunrise - I don't think aortic aneurysm has symptoms, it just blows when it's too big, that is the insidious thing about it. Not everyone has aortic aneurysm with BAV. No wonder you feel lucky !

 

[HighPlains]

This brief discussion has helped me. I recently committed to surgery for AVR for BAV and severe stenosis. I am 71. Had it all my life. Symptoms developed recently, but I felt like they weren't too bad most of the time. Now I see others have had the same experience; that is, they hear the diagnosis but don't feel bad enough to be sure surgery is needed "right now." Thanks for the post. Good luck to you. My surgery is early June at Bryan Heart in Nebraska.

 

[dick0236]

Welcome HighPlains....this is a great forum for the young and "not so young" facing heart surgery......and will put a lot of the mystery and uncertainty into a proper perspective.