Mitral valve/replacement

[emfields]

Hi I’m from Yorkshire, UK.

It is lovely to meet you all!

I am currently looking for a honest insight/reassurance regarding mitral valve replacement/repair surgery.

My dad is 58 years old and is awaiting surgery which is scheduled for 29/07/2021 at Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital in the Chestermans department. (He has been waiting over a year due to Covid-19.) Also, I am not quite sure if he is having a replacement or repair.

If I am completely honest (and this is quite selfish of me) I am very very nervous and I cannot take my mind off it. Understandably, you always think of the worse and I am an over thinker at the best of times, but I am also worried because I know deep down my dad is also worried and for the first time in his life I think he is scared.

if anyone could offer a glimpse of their experience and any recommendations/tips for after the surgery that would be amazing and greatly appreciated.

As I have said, I am just really nervous for him and I do not know what I would do if anything was to happen to him. The quicker this is over and done with the better. I also think this experience is harder because you are not allowed to visit.

any advice would be greatly appreciated, and for all you individuals who have had the surgery I salute you! You are so so so brave and I admire you!

best wishes to anyone reading this & stay safe, em

 

[dick0236]

Welcome. There are a bunch of Brits on this forum and I'm sure you will get encouragement from many of them. It's healthy for you to be concerned but unless there are other issues the heart valve repair/replacement will not be a big deal. OHS (Open Heart Surgery) has been around since well before you were born and the medical treatments for OHS are well established and the risks are less than many other medical issues or procedures. Stay concerned but don't wring your hands.........it'll be over in no time.

 

[bece13]

I had the mitral valve replaced 3 months ago and I can tell you that here in Canada is pretty much routine if there are no other medical conditions. First week after surgery was not that bad as They gave me lots of painkillers. After 5 days I went home. Second week was the worst as I started to reduce the painkillers and coughing/sneezing was the worst. 3rd week I started to feel better and better and saw quite a progress from one day to another. After that the progress slowed down and only see it from one week to another. But every person is different. I hope your dad will have a quick and easy recovery. It’s in human nature to worry but for me it wasn’t as bad as I would imagine.

 

[Stan]

Hi em
It is natural to be anxious for loved ones undergoing surgery. I had a CABG graft and a mitral valve repair in Nov 2107. The after care was amazing and I have nothing but admiration for the medical teams. As a previous reply said, it won't take too long before your dad is able to get on with doing all the things you enjoy doing together. After surgery, they asked me to sign on to rehab classes and my strength gained from day to day. Best wishes to your dad for a speedy recovery and try not to be too anxious.

 

[Geofd]

Hello mitral valve people I have an appointment with my surgeon (virtual) to talk about my Mitral valve, I have severe regurgitation and I think some of the cords on one of the leaflets are broken???, And have prolapse???? I'm not sure what to expect but I do have a list of questions, and that chart about the different types of valves and the reasons one would choose one or the other thanks to this forum I'm not going in blind

 

[vitdoc]

Currently there are a wide range of options for mitral regurge treatment. Valve replacement either mechanical, organic or soon mechanical but organic like. There now are options to replace valves in the mitral position via catheterization techniques. These are new in the mitral position and still not main stream and experimental. There are also options of fixing regurge via a mitral clip and I believe there is another clip like device being tested. Also there is surgical repair without replacement.

So many choices. Since I had three open hearts for aortic valve and aortic aneurysm repair when I developed severe decompensating mitral regurge nobody was very eager to work on my for a forth time. So I had the mitral clip procedure in 2016. So far it has worked flawlessly and completely resolved my mitral issues. Compared to open heart surgery it was a piece of cake.
There are a limited number of cardiologists that have a significant experience with this procedure. It is not easy to do. But if there is someone who is very experienced available one might want to discuss this with them. No need for anticoagulation. This now has about a 15 year or more experience level and it appears in some to be long lasting. If it fails then probably open heart surgery would be needed to fix the valve.

 

[emfields]

Welcome. There are a bunch of Brits on this forum and I'm sure you will get encouragement from many of them. It's healthy for you to be concerned but unless there are other issues the heart valve repair/replacement will not be a big deal. OHS (Open Heart Surgery) has been around since well before you were born and the medical treatments for OHS are well established and the risks are less than many other medical issues or procedures. Stay concerned but don't wring your hands.........it'll be over in no time.

Luckily, my dad has no other health issues to knowledge and is generally a fit person apart from this issue. Thank you so much for your support I really do appreciate it. Best wishes to you

 

[emfields]

I had the mitral valve replaced 3 months ago and I can tell you that here in Canada is pretty much routine if there are no other medical conditions. First week after surgery was not that bad as They gave me lots of painkillers. After 5 days I went home. Second week was the worst as I started to reduce the painkillers and coughing/sneezing was the worst. 3rd week I started to feel better and better and saw quite a progress from one day to another. After that the progress slowed down and only see it from one week to another. But every person is different. I hope your dad will have a quick and easy recovery. It’s in human nature to worry but for me it wasn’t as bad as I would imagine.

I had the mitral valve replaced 3 months ago and I can tell you that here in Canada is pretty much routine if there are no other medical conditions. First week after surgery was not that bad as They gave me lots of painkillers. After 5 days I went home. Second week was the worst as I started to reduce the painkillers and coughing/sneezing was the worst. 3rd week I started to feel better and better and saw quite a progress from one day to another. After that the progress slowed down and only see it from one week to another. But every person is different. I hope your dad will have a quick and easy recovery. It’s in human nature to worry but for me it wasn’t as bad as I would imagine.

Hi I am so glad to hear you’re doing well and that recovery went well and I really do take my hat off to you, you’re bravery is immense. I honestly could not even think about going through what you did, so thank you for sharing this. I do have a few quick questions.. which type of valve did you get and if it was the mechanical how do you feel towards the possibility of another surgery in the future? Also, how do you feel about blood thinning medication and how checkups are carried out to ensure no blood clots and further risks. Also, I know this may be TMI but how did you get on going to the toilet and showering ETC after the surgery… did you need help or was you independent to some extent. Any advice would be greatly appreciated and thank you again for sharing your experience

 

[emfields]

Hi em
It is natural to be anxious for loved ones undergoing surgery. I had a CABG graft and a mitral valve repair in Nov 2107. The after care was amazing and I have nothing but admiration for the medical teams. As a previous reply said, it won't take too long before your dad is able to get on with doing all the things you enjoy doing together. After surgery, they asked me to sign on to rehab classes and my strength gained from day to day. Best wishes to your dad for a speedy recovery and try not to be too anxious.

Hi Stan,

thank you so much for your reply and for sharing your experience I really do admire your bravery and resilience and I am so glad you have recovered well. Also, your reply did make me well up with tears- I can’t wait to have my dad back to normal, bless you!
And yes the hospital has mentioned about physiotherapy to help build strength and get back to normal, is there anything/exercise you recommend, or anything tip you wish you knew before surgery which you would give to someone.
Again, thank you so much for sharing your experience and I am so glad you’re feeling better! Best wishes Em x

 

[emfields]

Hello mitral valve people I have an appointment with my surgeon (virtual) to talk about my Mitral valve, I have severe regurgitation and I think some of the cords on one of the leaflets are broken???, And have prolapse???? I'm not sure what to expect but I do have a list of questions, and that chart about the different types of valves and the reasons one would choose one or the other thanks to this forum I'm not going in blind

Hi I hope everything goes well with your consultation. I would recommend taking notes during your consultation and asking all the questions which you have and as my mum always says, there is never such a thing as a silly question so ask everything! At the end of the day, it is your body and this experience is daunting, so heading into it with the most knowledge you can have is beneficial. Never leave any stone unturned and I hope your meeting goes well. All the best for the future, em

 

[emfields]

Currently there are a wide range of options for mitral regurge treatment. Valve replacement either mechanical, organic or soon mechanical but organic like. There now are options to replace valves in the mitral position via catheterization techniques. These are new in the mitral position and still not main stream and experimental. There are also options of fixing regurge via a mitral clip and I believe there is another clip like device being tested. Also there is surgical repair without replacement.

So many choices. Since I had three open hearts for aortic valve and aortic aneurysm repair when I developed severe decompensating mitral regurge nobody was very eager to work on my for a forth time. So I had the mitral clip procedure in 2016. So far it has worked flawlessly and completely resolved my mitral issues. Compared to open heart surgery it was a piece of cake.
There are a limited number of cardiologists that have a significant experience with this procedure. It is not easy to do. But if there is someone who is very experienced available one might want to discuss this with them. No need for anticoagulation. This now has about a 15 year or more experience level and it appears in some to be long lasting. If it fails then probably open heart surgery would be needed to fix the valve.

Hi thank you for sharing your experience and I am so glad to hear that you are finally on the road to recovery and hopefully no more surgery- you are so brave! Also, thank you for sharing this knowledge, I had never really heard of the clip method and this sounds very interesting. As mentioned in my previous post, my dad is having a repair/replacement I am not quite sure which, as I think he has tried to shelter me away from this to try and reduce the worry. As with all surgeries, I know there are risks and both mechanical and organic valves have their disadvantages and advantages. I think the most worrying thing with a replacement is the possibility of further surgery in the future for maintenance/complete repair, in addition to the risk of blood clots. However, I am hoping that if my dad does have a replacement this will last him so that he doesn’t have to experience such an invasive surgery at an older age although I do appreciate this is always a possibility, but then I would be even more worried if age was not on his side. Ahhh! I said previous, this experience is very daunting and stressful and I would not wish this on anyone, I think the most tiring part is the unknown and also the fact that my dads valve damaged was caused by a deliberate RTA at work. However, thank you again for sharing this advice and your experience- I really appreciate it and admire you’re bravery! I am so glad you’re well, and if you do have any tips at all in regard to recovery or relating to the choice of valves please do let me know. Best wishes, em

 

[Geofd]

Hi I hope everything goes well with your consultation. I would recommend taking notes during your consultation and asking all the questions which you have and as my mum always says, there is never such a thing as a silly question so ask everything! At the end of the day, it is your body and this experience is daunting, so heading into it with the most knowledge you can have is beneficial. Never leave any stone unturned and I hope your meeting goes well. All the best for the future, em

So I had my consult with the Dr, says my options
Are tissue valve and mechanical valve, I'm on seizure disorder meds under control since 1979, he said that if I choose the mechanical valve I'll be on blood thinners,and the meds I'm on mess with the levels, so the levels may have to be adjusted,has anyone had this issue???????? Thanks said surgery can wait til spring I have to make a decision by next week, I can change it again if I want
Oh yeh he's going to try to sew the broken cords on my leaflets then see if it stops the leakage

 

[Debster]

I totally understand where you are coming from..I hope my story gives you hope! In 2005 my then 65 year old mom was in desperate need of a new mitral valve. She had had rheumatic fever as a child and it damaged her heart. By 2005 she had waited too long and was very ill at that time. She could not walk across the street without stopping. So...she had a tissue mitral replacement in April of that year. I was very anxious-she was close to death at that time. Not fit like your dad. In fact my mom had a triple bypass as well. The surgery went well...but the next year she had a biventricular pacemaker put in to help her heart beat in synch. Between this and her meds her heart remodeled to a more normal size and ejection fraction.
Fast forward to today..16 years later. Mom turns 81 in September. She is doing well-can walk well and still not get winded. These years are ones I never dreamed we would have with her and am so grateful. She has gotten to see my children grow up.
Your dad will feel so much better after he recovers from his surgery! Please feel free to ask any questions...my mom is on Plavix ( a blood thinner) 3 x a week. She has had no issues except easily bruising. Prayers and best wishes for you and your dad!

 

[Eva]

… I am very very nervous and I cannot take my mind off it. Understandably, you always think of the worse and I am an over thinker at the best of times, but I am also worried because I know deep down my dad is also worried and for the first time in his life I think he is scared.

if anyone could offer a glimpse of their experience and any recommendations/tips for after the surgery that would be amazing and greatly appreciated.

… any advice would be greatly appreciated, and for all you individuals who have had the surgery I salute you! You are so so so brave and I admire you!

best wishes to anyone reading this & stay safe, em

Welcome aboard!
when I had my surgery I was 57. Being nervous is very normal…I was devastated to hear it was time for surgery though I knew the day was coming for over 25 years!
My advice is to take a deep breath and have faith that all will be well… this surgery is kind of routine these days!

He’ll definitely need help after surgery, especially the first week/s. My hubby and my sister were there to help me put on my compression socks, dress up, prepare healthy meals, even help open the medicine bottles!

Best wishes to both of you. Keep us posted!