Heart Failure/Leg Ulcer Issues

[Kathy S]

Is anyone here dealing with leg ulcers, right heart failure issues, or pulmonary hypertension? Is there a good forum for these that you know of?

These are my husband's current issues - he had two heart valves replaced in 2002.

I really am not clear on what caused the pulmonary hypertension. I was told that it could be the radiation treatments (from 1980 for Hodgkins - which also caused calcification on the valves) while he was in the hospital. He was told that it was the mitral valve stenosis that caused the pulmonary hypertension.

His left heart failure resolved after the valve replacement surgery.

 

[Kathy S]

On leg ulcers - a nurse told me today that his father had right heart failure from the age of 60 to age 92, and that these ulcers can be prevented with good care - the right diuretics, leg elevation, compression stockings, and low sodium.

Here's hoping for no more of these when healed!

My husband did have a varicose vein procedure recently to help with this as well. Be sure to look into compression stockings for leg swelling if you have it. No one mentioned stockings until the ulcers appeared when the swelling worsened.

Also, be sure to go to a wound care specialist if available. A dermatologist is not nearly as much help.