Meeting with surgeon tomorrow

[RunMartin]

I am having my first meeting with my surgeon tomorrow (Wednesday) at Wythenshawe Hospital Manchester, providing the snow does not cancel it. I have felt OK about it up until today. I know the aortic valve needs replacing and probably the root but it still does not stop the uneasy feeling. I just hope this does not drag on.

Martin

 

[BlindFaith]

Martin, Good luck with getting through this process as smooth as possible... and not a lot of waiting. The waiting can be the hardest part !!

 

[Jkm7]

Good luck with your meeting tomorrow. Hope you get the answers you need and if surgery is to be, that it is scheduled soon.

 

[Maryka]

I hate how the snows around Washington, DC, changes my life. Good luck with your snow and with your medical evaluation!

 

[Bridgette]

Waiting can be very hard, that's for sure. My surgery got postponed because some of the lab staff were out on strike. In the end it was only delayed by a week but I was ready to get it over and done with.
Good luck with your meeting, and hopefully you'll have no delays.

 

[Cris N]

Hope your meeting goes well and you like and trust the surgeon.

 

[Mileena46]

Also praying for relief for you! I can imagine how hard it must be to wait like this. Good Luck to you!


Mileena

 

[RunMartin]

I saw the Surgeon today (Mr Hooper) and he said he would like to do the surgery soon, possibly 4 to 5 weeks. The person who deals with his schedule was not in today due to the snow. I feel more positive knowing that it should not drag on for months but I will not hold my breath

Does anyone in the UK know how to get a date for surgery fixed? The surgeon just said that the nurse in charge would contact me via letter which can take a long time in my experience.

He did ask me what valve I would prefer (mechanical or tissue). He said that if I only required a new valve and not the aortic root then he would have suggested the tissue valve. When I told him that my choice was mechanical he said it would be the best option.

Thanks for your support
Martin

 

[Cris N]

Sounds positive. Hope you can get it scheduled promptly.

 

[RunMartin]

As I have not yet been told what I need to do before surgery (due to the nurse not being at the meeting with the surgeon), I am trying to preempt things. I have contacted my dentist and have made an appointment for a checkup tomorrow. Is there anything else that I need to do that could stop the surgery date being fixed?

Thanks
Martin

 

[mac]

Things to do before surgery.

Things to do before surgery.

Yes, anything on the"honey do list" ( American slange for things the wife wants you to do)
in my case, winterizing the house, putting the sailboat away, putting up the Christmas lights, cleaning the garage, changing oil on the trucks,....in other words anything you can think off, because you will not be able to do any of these things for at least 8 weeks. I'm 7 weeks out today and am probly doing much more than I should, but that's me. My body is dictating what I can do along with a scolding from my wife once in awhile for pushing myself to much.
Cover all your base's before surgery so you can take the time to relax and recover after surgery.
Not sure how old you are, but you probly made a good choise by going with the mechanical valve. I was leaning toward the tissue, but my surgeon said he really did not want to open me up again in 10 or 15 years. And guess what, he was right, I don't want to go through this again. Once is more than enough. My recover has been great, but once is more than enough.

Mac
AVR, single by-pass 11/19/09
carbo medics mechanical
Dr. Suri
Mayo Clinic

 

[ALCapshaw2]

I saw the Surgeon today (Mr Hooper) and he said he would like to do the surgery soon, possibly 4 to 5 weeks. The person who deals with his schedule was not in today due to the snow. I feel more positive knowing that it should not drag on for months but I will not hold my breath

Does anyone in the UK know how to get a date for surgery fixed? The surgeon just said that the nurse in charge would contact me via letter which can take a long time in my experience.

He did ask me what valve I would prefer (mechanical or tissue). He said that if I only required a new valve and not the aortic root then he would have suggested the tissue valve. When I told him that my choice was mechanical he said it would be the best option.

Thanks for your support
Martin

FYI, there are 4 Major manufacturers of Mechanical Valves, ATS, Carbomedics, On-X, and St. Jude (and Sorin from Italy for the non-USA market).

There are several different manufacturers of various types of Porcine Tissue Valves and Bovine Pericardial Tissue Valves.

You may want to browse through the Valve Selection Forum to learn more about the different options.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Mentu]

Martin, once your surgeon says that you need surgery, there are not too many medical things that are needed. I see you have followed the dental discussions and that is a good thing to do for your surgeon's checklist. Your surgeon may also want to schedule another echocardiogram or a heart cath just prior to surgery. I also scheduled an appointment with my own physician before surgery because she is really good at answering my questions and she will be managing my long term medical needs.

The most helpful advice I received was to arrange for house cleaning and find a comfortable recliner. You can also do basic shopping in advance so that you have plenty of easily prepared things to eat and pet supplies. I also upgraded my home internet connection which I used a lot during the weeks I was home.

Larry

 

[mac]

I have to agree with Mentu on the recliner, it's a good thing. Also a back massager like the homedics is a good investment. My upper back between my shoulder blades was pretty tight after my surgery. My back massager was a god send. I wish I would have brought it to Mayo with me to use when I was sitting in my chair between walks. Don't be afried to ask for a back rubb from the nurses. It will make that knot between your shoulder blades feel much better.

Mac

 

[RunMartin]

Thanks for your suggestions.


I think I have a few manual jobs to do before surgery so I will have to compile a list.. I was pleased the dentist could fit me with such a short notice.

The surgeon did not say which valve manufacturer he uses. I did mention the On-X but he did not seem to want to use it, probably because it does not come with a conduit. I did make the decision a while ago to choose a mechanical valve (as I a very active 47 years old who does not want lots of heart operations) and use whatever the surgeon suggests.

It would be nice if I had a recliner but I do not think I can get hold of one. My mother has offered for me and my wife to stay with her after the operation. That way my wife can get back to work when she wants to. How long is it suggested to have someone around once you get home?


Martin

 

[Adrienne]

How long is it suggested to have someone around once you get home?

Martin

I would say that one week with someone there most of the day would be good. After that, as long as your wife does the laundry and makes the beds, I think you could be alone during the day and just read and watch TV, etc.

 

[Mileena46]

Yep, I think one week would be enough. Everybody is different and you will know when you can be alone. Just take it easy and you will heal much faster.


I have a Sorin mech mitral valve, so they do have them here in the US. It's loud, but I think they all are to a certain extent. I didn't think I would ever grow use to it, and it does still bother me some, but it IS becoming like white noise. I would never have believed that possible!!

Mileena

 

[Mentu]

Martin, I was happy to have my friend with me for five days after coming home from the hospital. Even though I didn't end up needing him to do anything in particular his presense gave me a lot of reassurance. I found I could do everything I needed to do including a little laundry. By that I mean a few pieces of laundry not the carrying the full laundry basket through the house routine. I was surprised to find that making the bed was definately one thing I could not do comfortably so I had to settle for tugging just a little on the blankets. However, keep in mind that each of us have our own limits and no one's experience will be exactly the same.

 

[river-wear]

What's with all of this "making the bed" nonsense? You're just going to mess it up again at night!