Just back from my first meeting with the surgeon. I have a chest CAT scan scheduled for Friday April 10th and go for AVR surgery on April 14th. Going with a tissue valve as recommended by the surgeon. Pig or Cow to be determined by him during the surgery according to any technical issues that may arise. His opinion was an easy 20 year life span on new tissue valves (I'm 64), he likes their flow characteristics better than mechanical and he is not an advocate of blood thinners. If I need a new valve in 20 years he said TAVR would be a strong possibility (a lot can happen in 20 years).
Based on his experience and my situation he thought that I have a fused tricuspid valve acting as a bicuspid valve, and that I've had this since birth. Hard to determine with 100% assurance until you have the little guy in your hands. Not sure that this impacts anything anyway. Finally he said that he would probably replace 4" - 5" of my aorta since it's at 4.2 mm indicating aneurism and should be addressed at the same time as the valve.
So that's the pre-surgery update. Wish me luck.
Based on his experience and my situation he thought that I have a fused tricuspid valve acting as a bicuspid valve, and that I've had this since birth. Hard to determine with 100% assurance until you have the little guy in your hands. Not sure that this impacts anything anyway. Finally he said that he would probably replace 4" - 5" of my aorta since it's at 4.2 mm indicating aneurism and should be addressed at the same time as the valve.
So that's the pre-surgery update. Wish me luck.
