Heart valve replacement without a general anesthetic in the UK

[tiredof2010]

Hello All

I apologise if this duplicates other posts. (I am new to all of this and it is a lot to take in.)

Can anyone help with information about places in the UK where they are trialling heart valve replacements without a general anesthetic.

With many thanks

Sarah

 

[Greg a]

I think you have found a new home where you are going to find the answers you seek and a great source of research. The group here is a warm and knowledgeable group of non-professionals who have and are living the experience you seek.

Good luck and God Bless:angel:
and by the way you never have to say you are sorry

 

[Ross]

Forgive me, but why on earth would anyone want to go through heart surgery without being fully sedated?

Perhaps some of our UK members may know something, but all I'm finding are articles from India.

 

[Nancy]

I cannot imagine how heart valve surgery could be done without general anesthesia, if the surgery would involve the heart/lung machine and a vent, and a sternotomy where they saw through your sternum and pin your arms way back to expose your heart and then do an incision on it. I do know that there were some reports quite a while ago from, I think, Russia, where they were doing surgery with hypnosis. Don't know how that worked out for them, and I don't know what sort of surgery it was. I haven't heard about that in a long time.

Unless it is some sort of non-invasive procedure, it would be hard to believe.

But, if you find out about it, please provide a link. It would be interesting reading.

 

[dick0236]

Forgive me, but why on earth would anyone want to go through heart surgery without being fully sedated?

My question as well?? That would be an experience:eek2:. I doubt that I would make it thru them sawing thru the breast bone....but then I've always been a "wimp" about that sort of thing.:thumbd:

 

[tobagotwo]

Percutaneous valves can be implanted without general anesthesia just fine, although it's a much larger apparatus than what is used for a cardiac catheterization. I would suggest that's probably what's being referred to.

That's a type of valve that is placed into the heart via catheter, through a large artery, and expanded at the valve site much like the stents used for opening clogged arteries. The old valve is simply compressed into the surrounding wall just before (or possibly by) the placement.

If it's to do with hypnosis or acupuncture, it's not for me (or at least I'm not that desperate yet).

Best wishes,

 

[Ross]

I ran across an article from India and darned if I can find it now. Had the picture of the guy with his face and eyes open, looking sort of dopey, sterile curtain then his opened chest complete with hemostats clamping off arteries.

Sorry, but it just about makes me sick to even think about going through it without being sedated.

 

[Nancy]

Here is some information about it. It is the type of valve that Bob H mentioned above. Not everyone is a candidate for it, but it certainly can help some. Not in general use yet, and not for those needing the more traditional surgery.

The video takes a while to load.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/health&id=6591909

 

[mainframe]

I had my pacemaker inplanted with just a local. They ask me if I wanted a general or a local. I thought I was "man-ing up" and said "local". Of course I was still in the Stanford ICU at the time, probably still not in my right mind. Anyhow, I would really not recommend it. I could feel them cutting me and it wasn't much fun.

I can't imagine having a traditional AVR with a local.

 

[neil]

no way.knock me out

 

[Bill B]

Please knock me out regardless.

If they offered anesthesia prior to drawing blood, I'd probably take it.

 

[Nancy]

I think it depends on the patient. Joe had a pacemaker implatation with a local and he told me that the surgeon and he discussed football throughout the procedure. They might have done a better job with the local anesthetic than you had Chris. And anyway, Joe always got very talky when he had any kind of relaxant, which they probably gave him as well, hence his discussions with the surgeon. I think I remember walking to the OR suite with him on the stretcher making all kinds of crazy conversations with the transporter, who just kept smiling and moving him along. He was definitely "feeling no pain"

 

[Nancy]

here's another article about the surgery and Sister Duggan, who was 91 at the time. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see where they said whether she had general anesthesia or not.

http://www.deliveringevidence.inhealth.org/?p=9994

 

[Luana]

Is there anything that is not on YouTube?

 

[Lynlw]

If you are asking about percutaneous for Aortic or pulmonary valves, I don't know all the places in the UK that they do them, but I do know Neil Moat at Royal Brompton in London, is one of the leaders in the field and does many of the discussions about them at various conferences. They could probably let you know if your a candidate for them or where else you could have it done.
at http://www.rbht.nhs.uk/healthprofessionals/clinical-departments/consultants/moat/

 

[tiredof2010]

Thank you very much, eveyone - much appreciated.

The type of procedure I was asking about would benefit a patient who is too weak to have a general anesthetic.

I will follow up all the various leads.

Thanks again

 

[Lynlw]

Thank you very much, eveyone - much appreciated.

The type of procedure I was asking about would benefit a patient who is too weak to have a general anesthetic.

I will follow up all the various leads.

Thanks again

Most likely it would be the percutaneous valve replacement them. Do you know what specific valve needs replaced?

 

[Ross]

Is there anything that is not on YouTube?

Yeah. Me! I'm not on youtube or facebook or myspace or any of those.