If you had to do it over again...

[ShezaGirlie]

Oh Rob, that's a hard one!

When a member creates a poll, there are only 10 options available, so that's sorta why I put in the original post 'sorry not enough space for third timers.' And since your original surgery was a tissue for fourteen good years and then second was a mechanical, I guess that put you in the 'third timers' section.

But everybody should vote and I'm so glad you did. I guess your vote would have been TISSUE - MECHANICAL - MECHANICAL if the spaces would have been available.

But the spaces aren't there and it is a moot point anyway since you would again choose a mechanical. Maybe your vote should have been TISSUE - MECHANICAL. Have I confused anyone yet...

Thank you for explaining it to us and thanks for your opinion as we value both.

Now, whenever Hank wins the lottery and is able to 'upgrade' the website to include all sorts of goodies, we just have to grin and bear it...

 

[Ross]

Now, whenever Hank wins the lottery and is able to 'upgrade' the website to include all sorts of goodies, we just have to grin and bear it...

What sorts of goodies are you interested in? There are many things this board can do that it isn't doing right now. Throw me a bone here, tell me what you want and I'll see if I can't make the wish come true.

 

[Bob Bates]

Not to beat a dead hourse, but I think Rob's response should be tissue-tissue.

I may be missing the point, but I think the poll was focused on the issue of whether or not you would change your mind if you had it to do over again. In Rob's clarification, he indicated that he would not change his mind if he was 30 yrs. old , he would go again with the tissue.

In his case there were extenuating circumstances due to the third required surgery, which pretty much forced him to go with the mechanical.

Whew, I should have been a lawyer! I like to argue arcane points.

Regards,


Bob B.

 

[fyrfytr]

Hey Bob
You are playing with FIRE!

Have A Great Weekend!

Dave
____________________
Surgery: 4/21/03
Aortic Aneurysm Repair
AVR, with a St. Jude Mechanical
Heart Center of the Rockies

 

[rcatalano]

Where is that horse, I need to whack it one more time.

I'd rather not have to make the decision again, though I wouldn't mind another shot at being 30.

 

[ShezaGirlie]

OK, let's resurrect that horse of Bob's.

I suppose I thought y'all could read my mind...so a little clarification is in order on my part.

I ass-u-me-d that y'all would be of the opinon that you either did or didn't like your first valve. Bob is right! Would y'all change your mind if you had to do it again -- with your decision based on your current age and the valve you have now?

Now, Rob's first valve was a tissue.. Second is a mechanical and he said that if he had to do it again, he'd go mechanical. So, with that info his vote should have been TISSUE - MECHANICAL.

Now you hushup Mr. Fyrftr or I'll get my extinguisher hose after yur pumpkin head. You ever heard of [the] 'Smashin' Pumpkins?'

I'm off to town on my resurrected horse... Giddyup Dollie.......

 

[Granbonny]

Love my Mechanical

Love my Mechanical

Glad the surgeon said to me..you do not want to go through this again..Had just come from Cath..flat on the bed..and saw him. Cardiologist had called him down..from OR....My surgery was fine. No pain, ect...but who has time to stay home for weeks..Have their family look after them..drive them to doctor's appointments..ect? Cook, clean for months..(family) and feel fuzzy-headed for at least a month...and yes, it takes at least a year to feel like your old self..Need to do a poll on how long did it take to feel like your old self Members in their 40's and 50's.. going for a tissue..Remember..the next time around. Your wife, hubby, family will be as old as you. Will they be able to help out..I would never want to ask my family to do what they did for me. Very stressful for them, too. The wait while you are in OR.. Things to ponder Bonnie

 

[ccrawford]

Hi Janie - That's a well constructed survey lady - nice work. I think I'll share that with my cardio next time I see him. I guess I was surprised to see the majority going for a mechanical. That was my vote, but I guess I assumed more people had the bugaboos about Coumadin. Seems like most of us don't want to be carved like a pumpkin again huh ? Can't imagine why that would be !! I don't know how we'd do it, but I'd like to see a survey that would correlate post surgery depression with degree of preparedness before surgery. The threory here is that the more the patient is prepared for the whole routine, the less likely he/she will be to encounter depression. This would make a good psychology doctorate dissertation. Anyhoo - good job miss Janie !

 

[Gnusgal]

I'm not sure how to vote. You see, I wasn't given a choice. If I had been, I would have gone tissue. But my surgeon never gave me an option. Probably because of my bizare anatomy. So, even though I have a mechanical, I wish I had a tissue one so I didn't have to deal with coumadin. Granted, it's not like coumadin has made a HUGE difference in my life, but I know that I will continue to have more surgeries on down the road (if nothing else, at least pacemaker changes) and what would have been an out-patient or one-night thing will now have to be possible week-long stays due to coumadin. Besides, I already know I'll be having a transplant sometime in the future (hopefully FAR into the future) so why am I going to worry about needing another surgery? I'm not saying that mechanical valves are bad, I just don't like having to go into the hospital a few days ahead of a procedure to get off coumadin, then stay afterwards to get my levels back up. That's what they did with my EP study. What normally would have been an out-patient procedure turned into a week in the hospital. Then there's the whole children situation, though who knows if I would have been allowed to get pregnant even without the coumadin...

Anyway, I guess I should vote mechanical-tissue? Except I doubt I'll ever be given the choice...

 

[Les]

Didn't have a choice the first time, was dying...No choice the second time either...was a "non-warrantied" replacement. However, would be mechanical / mechanical...no question about it. I am concerned about some thoughts on repairs....To just keep going in and repairing over and over then go to a mechanical as a last resort. Not to cast a dark shadow, but check out any Heart Surgery Mortality Rate charts....most don't post data past the third time..........
_______________
Les AVR '93 / '95 ( burned two 865 days apart )

 

[Christina L]

Barrett and others,

Am I wrong about this, but aren't mitral valve repairs more "doable" and lasting than aortic repairs??

I am scheduled for a repair/replacement November 5 and will tell Dr. Cosgrove (will tell him? - ha - will "ask" him) to put in a tissue valve if he doesn't think a repair will last more than five years at least. Of course, one never knows the future do they....

I agree about more than three heart surgeries being tricky but I think it can be done, especially with younger people.

That brings me to a question I have been afraid to broach and that is mortality. What is the life expectancy of people getting valve repairs and replacements? Does anyone know? I know I should be more concerned about the quality of my life, but of course, I am thinking about the length of my life. I hope it is okay to ask this question on this board, as I have read some very scary things on the internet regarding length of life after valve surgery but my doctors (and I have read in a few places also) have told me that I can expect a normal length of life - I would just like 20 more "good" years if possible - am 44. ~

Chris

 

[Ross]

Hey Ya Lady-- As long as you take care of yourself the way your instructed too, You'll live to be 105! 20 good years PFFFFFFFFTTTTTT You a funny lady, I like you.

I told you once and I'll tell you again, Cosgrove is the man and he will repair you. If I could leave this house, I'd bet you and your hubby dinner on it.

 

[Marty]

Repairs

Repairs

Mitral repairs are very "doable". I waited too long and had a badly
degenerated valve front and back plus ruptured chordae tendinae. So I got a mechanical St.Jude. So if you have mitral regurg don't wait too long and they can repair the valve to "no leak" and normal. As far as I know repairs of the aortic valve are not feasible at this time and nobody does them at least in this country. How long does a good mitral repair last? Hard to answer that with certainty. Ask Cosgrove when you get to Cleveland.

 

[Granbonny]

Chris

Chris

I am age 63 and plan to chase my hubby and the other old geezers around the Nursing Home..with my walker. I course, I have a mech. valve and no more heart surgeries for me. My age 85 year old aunt had open-heart surgery a month after me. I think she did better than me That side of my family (Dad's) have all lived into their 90's..Daddy will be age 89 this month..and still does all his yardwork, ect. Bonnie

 

[mharris]

If I knew then what I know now I would of had replacement from the get go. The surgeon made the decision completely once he was in there, he thought repair would work, so he did. Three weeks later I was in heart failure again, so 5 weeks from first surgery they went back in a replaced the valve and now I feel wonderful. I would not wish for 2 open heart surgeries on my worst enemy. All this was going on right after I had our baby 11 days prior to first surgery. Sometimes doctors make the wrong judgement call because I had signed all the paper for a replacement if need be.

 

[Marty]

Back to the OR

Back to the OR

My surgeon told me that if he did a repair I would be back on the OR table in two years or sooner. I'm happy with the decision he made for a 33mm
mechanical St. Jude.

 

[Ross]

I am age 63 and plan to chase my hubby and the other old geezers around the Nursing Home..with my walker.

For some reason, I think you'll do just that even if your heart has stoned cold stopped by then. You gots too much orneriness in ya!

 

[Birky]

valve

valve

The Surgeon told my family that the valve should last a lifetime. I agree with not having a 2nd surgery. He told my family the same as Marty that he would have to go back in 2years or so if he repaired. I have a beautiful picture of the diseased valve. It looked so bad that he gave me a picture. I was surprised that it had "vegetation growing on it" They thought it might be another infection and gave me extra antibiotics. I feel so lucky to feel so good and be here. A good friend of ours just passed away over the weekend. Had CHF and found him dead in bed. He was 58. The services were yesterday and it sure makes you wake up and smell the roses. He came back from Disneyworld on Sat. night and passed away on Sunday morning. This was my daugherinlaws fiancee for 20 years. He really loved those 2 little grandsons of ours and hers. God works in funny ways at times,
Marcia

 

[Birky]

correction

correction

This was my daughterinlaws Mother's fiancee for 20 years. For religious reasons they did not marry. Pumphead sydrome again.
My daughterinlaw is only 26. Oops.

 

[catwoman]

My father-in-law had MVR surgery (porcine) in 1978, after being in CHF. When he went into CHF again in late 1989, he required another MVR (porcine again), tricuspid replacement, aorta repairs & quad bypass.
Then a couple of months later, I was diagnosed with MVP, told I would "probably" never have problems. Don't know when my valve began deteriorating, but signs were obvious by late March 2003. Had MVR (St. Jude) 6/24/2003.
Before surgery, my surgeon told me he would attempt repair, but if he saw regurgitation over 1, he'd go back in and put in a mechanical since I'm still young (well, fairly -- 52 at the time).
I would go for mechanical again -- hang Coumadin & all. There's no guarantee on anything in the universe, so it seemed to be the best gamble for me.

Marsha