I must thank you all for your advice and your prayers. I have attempted to write a short summary of my hospital experience which I have included with this post, but much of the information
is what family and friends have told me.
Three weeks ago today I underwent ?valve-sparing aortic root replacement? at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. The surgeon was John Iconomidis. I am happy to say that my recovery thus far has been uneventful. I will return to Charleston for the first follow-up visit with the surgeon in one week. While there is always the possibility that I may need another surgical procedure in the future if this valve repair procedure does not correct the aortic insufficiency permanently, the doctors seem pleased with the results so far. As things now stand post surgery, there is still a very slight amount of regurgitation in the aortic valve, but this amount of regurgitation is far, far less than it was before surgery. Of course, the aneurysm has been totally removed and that section of the aorta has been replaced with a dacron graft.
I have only the greatest praise for the doctors and nursing staff at MUSC; I have never experienced a greater level of care anywhere. But I certainly hope that another surgery will not be needed because I do not wish to undergo this type of procedure ever, ever again. But if another operation becomes necessary, I have already decided to go with the mechanical valve option. From my reading on this website and other research, the mechanical valve option seems to offer the best option for a permanent treatment.
On the day of the surgery, I reported to the hospital at 5:30 a.m. and was taken back to surgery at 6:20. The surgeon spoke with my family at 11:30 a.m. while his surgical residents completed the closing of my chest, etc. I was taken to ICU around 12:30 p.m. My post-surgical experience was complicated because they had difficulty getting my lungs to breathe sufficiently well on their own. It took several hours to get the blood oxygen level to an acceptable point and my blood was apparently too acidic so they had to render the blood more alkaline. During the entire afternoon, I remained on the respirator while they were trying to work with the problems mentioned above. Unfortunately, I was awake for much of that time, and absolutely hated that respirator. They were able to remove it at 5:00 p.m. Remarkably, the hospital staff allowed a family member to stay in the ICU with me for the entire afternoon. Seeing a familar face was very comforting!
After that, I did well. My ICU nurses were magnificent as they dealt with the pain and other issues. They gave me a bath which got rid of the betadine and made me more comfortable. I have never had major surgery before, so this was my first experience with morphine. I had expected it to be some sort of miracle drug for pain, but I learned that it is not, at least for me. I had to be given it frequently because the pain relief was short lived in my case.
After 24 hours in ICU, I was put into a regular hospital room where the nursing staff gave me excellent care. On the third day, the catheter, neck tube, and chest tube were removed, and I began walking some. On the fourth day, I was given the option of going home or staying another day. I opted for the additional day and went home at noon on the fifth day.
I am still amazed at the resilience of the human body. I am now walking quite a bit each day in the nearby park and am doing rather well, I think. My chest still hurts, especially when I cough or laugh, but that should go away with time. I thank everyone for their kind words and prayers before, during and after this surgery. You guys are the best!
