I’m in the system!

[Chuck C]

I met with the surgeon on Thursday he says it’s time to operate to change aortic valve and ascending aortic artery

I was leaning towards a mechanical valve, doc says he will do either kind I’m 63yrs. He explained the pros and cons of both types along with the TAVI procedure to repair a bio valve if needed down the road.

At age 63, it is a tough choice, because you are right in that zone where either choice is a good one. Pros and cons for each, which it sounds like you have explored. I'm glad that your surgeon discussed the pros and cons of each with you and did not try to push you in either direction.

Tissue is tempting, because at your age, the hope is that the valve will last 15 to 20 years, then just do a TAVI. Ideally, that is how it would work out. If that was certain, the choice would be easy. But, as many other members here will share with you, TAVI eligibility is not a certainty. Also, as Peter shared, TAVI in TAVI also is not a certainty, should you live long enough to outlive your TAVI and need another procedure, which could mean OHS when one is frail.

Things are moving fast the scheduling department called and told me it maybe 9mo wait for surgery with the surgeon I have been seeing, but if I am willing to go with another surgeon it could happen in 1mo.

In that you have been told that it's time to operate, I would definitely not wait 9 months to get your preferred surgeon. Once "it's time", waiting becomes a high risk game, with the risk of sudden death and also the risk of irreversible damage to the heart from waiting too long.

So I told them the sooner the better getter done!

That's the right move.

Best of luck with your decision and keep us posted

 

[pellicle]

Some of these procedures are amazing, almost like rebuilding an engine through the exhaust pipe. I’m a hands and eyes on kind of guy.

if there's a benefit then its all good, but if there is a net negative then no matter how wow it is why do it?

much of this is dependent on:

1. how old you are (leading to)
2. how long you want between procedures
3. how you feel about repeat procedures.

Just because Star Trek was popular as a fiction series, don't be attracted to a procedure which doesn't give you and your needs the best outcomes.

When reading all studies keep this clearly in mind:

and maybe this:

sure, that's a bit wry, but (for instance) a mechanical valve in a 40 year old patient will stand a very good chance that it will last their entire life, indeed its almost never the valve that drives a subsequent operation.

Some recent reading worth examining (in more accurate detail than you'd check a life insurance policy for exclusions)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10236800/
Chuck makes the good point that its a coin flip with modern tissue valves (where at 63 you can probably expect closer to 20 years for SAVR (not TAVR) and the right valve.

Best Wishes

 

[Standardvelocity]

Well today I got notified my preop appointment is on Tuesday supposedly 3hrs long, just one more step in the journey!

 

[Standardvelocity]

Tuesday my preop went well, and this morning I got the call to be at the hospital on Wed Dec 6 at 0730 for surgery, not sure to be happy or afraid. On the bright side it will be the surgeon that was originally assigned to me.

 

[LondonAndy]

Tuesday my preop went well, and this morning I got the call to be at the hospital on Wed Dec 6 at 0730 for surgery, not sure to be happy or afraid. On the bright side it will be the surgeon that was originally assigned to me.

Great news! Whenever I see the word "preop" I associate it with a sex change, so I am sure your op will be less drastic than that .

Wishing you well, and look forward to updates afterwards.

 

[Standardvelocity]

I associate it with a sex change

hope not! They told me aorta valve and ascending root. With mechanical valve, at the preop they were on board with self testing INR even said they would write a script for coagucheck.

 

[Protimenow]

I'm glad you'll get a prescription for a CoaguChek - this suggests that you'll be getting a mechanical valve (and the doctors are probably expecting you to outlive a tissue valve and that you'll have issues if TAVR won't work or you need another OHS procedure).

Good luck (you probably won't need it) on this procedure.

 

[Standardvelocity]

False alarm! Got a call that the operation is postponed, emergencies have priority.

 

[Standardvelocity]

Got the call this AM, Jan 10th new operation date hopefully I don’t get bumped again.

 

[3mm]

Excellent news! I hope your support team is able to support that date. This will work well for you!

 

[Standardvelocity]

Postponed again! At least I was still at home, it’s a 4.5hr drive to the hospital and was able to cancel hotel reservation.

 

[V__]

Postponed again! At least I was still at home, it’s a 4.5hr drive to the hospital and was able to cancel hotel reservation.

Sorry to hear that. At the hospital where I had my surgery the scheduling person warned me point-blank that there is no guarantee of the date with the "elective" surgeries. This is due to several factors (urgent surgeries coming up, possibility of hospital being full, etc). But they are typically planning for 2 surgeries per day. And in case of an urgent surgery, the first (morning) one would be delayed until a later time same day and the 2nd (afternoon) would be cancelled. So scheduling for the morning had a smaller chance of the cancellation. Maybe it's possible to play the same trick in your case?

 

[Standardvelocity]

Early on I elected to go with any surgeon to speed up the wait time as the surgeon I was assigned to does ohs plus minimally invasive that keeps him quite busy. Turns out that my assigned surgeon wants to do my surgery himself so here I sit.

 

[Standardvelocity]

The third time is the charm. Got the call Jan 31st new operation date.

 

[3mm]

Glad you have a date and that it is so soon. Good luck!

 

[Chuck C]

The third time is the charm. Got the call Jan 31st new operation date.

Excellent. Always best to get it done asap, once the time has come.

Please keep us posted on how things go.

Wishing you all the best for your procedure and recovery!

 

[Standardvelocity]

Well we drove to the big smoke(Winnipeg) yesterday at about hour 4 of a 4.5hr drive the cell phone comes to life and I am canceled again #3 so we spent the night in a decent hotel(too late to cancel reservation) and today I did some motorcycle shopping. I think I have it down to a Kawasaki eliminator 500 or a royal Enfield super meteor 650 with a triumph scrambler 400 a close 3rd.
Just arrived back home I’ll have a couple of weeks to contemplate motorbikes and surgery. The surgeon is off to a wedding his next OR time is booked Feb 14th. Here I sit!

 

[V__]

I am canceled again #3

OMG. I'm speechless.

Maybe you can tell the surgeon's office that a few thousand people around the world is now watching his scheduling practice?

 

[pellicle]

Sorry about the cancellation.

I did some motorcycle shopping. I think I have it down to a Kawasaki eliminator 500 or a royal Enfield super meteor 650 with a triumph scrambler 400 a close 3rd.

No W800 in there?

 

[Standardvelocity]

I did see one but it was tucked a way in the corner of the showroom, could hardly get close enough to touch it never mind throwing a leg over it. They will all be subject to a test ride and that could be 3-4 months away still have a lot of winter to go here.