L
Lisa
Hello, all. I have been away for several days thinking about my impending surgery and consulting with my surgeon of choice.
After much deliberation, I have chosen a homograft.
The surgery is going to be performed by Dr. David McGiffin at UAB in Birmingham in a matter of weeks. Dr. McGiffin is ordering a 'range of valves' from the organ bank and he is to call me when he has a satisfactory range. To quote him "we keep the valves in a bank, they are frozen, and we take some out and defrost them as we need them." It was really hard not to laugh at that comment. It gives the impression of going to the grocery and picking out a slab of meat!
It was easy for me to decide which type of tissue valve after I decided that I definitely did not want mechanical. Eliminating mechanical was the hard part. Here are my reasons for choosing a homograft:
1) I'm only 31. Given my prospect for a long life span, I'm not ready to go on coumadin quite this young. Although I would probably be perfectly fine and not have complications from it, I think the longer you're on it the greater the chance of having serious complications. So mechanical is out for now.
2) The next thought was: Which type of tissue is best? Well another human aortic valve is most like what God gave me to begin with. Yipee, Homograft for me! Also, there are some cases of them lasting up to 20 years now. I hope to be one of them.
3) The Ross procedure is out for me because I know that I will have to have a reoperation (hopefully 15-20 yrs down the road) and I do not wish to have two reasons for the 2nd operation. I would like to lessen my chance of having two mechanical valves in the future.
4) Animal tissue is not completely ruled out. It just does not happen to be my first choice. I am trying to decide between animal tissue or ross procedure for my 2nd choice. I'm keeping positive with only 1 choice because Dr. McGiffin thinks he can get a homograft for me.
5) The other major factor in my decision is childbirth. My husband and I decided before we married last May that there would not be any children. He's 45. BUT you never know what the future may bring. If we change our minds, I want the option to have them. There is also a bit of self-esteem attached to that decision. I don't want to feel that my appeal as wife, lover, friend, mate is any way diminished because I'm not able to carry a child.
Geez, I'm talking a lot here. I have so much to do before this down time. Like get my closet organized! My husband hates these projects I think up for him! I'm having him design cubicles for me so that everything I store on the top shelf of the closet can be brought down and easily reached by me.
After much deliberation, I have chosen a homograft.
The surgery is going to be performed by Dr. David McGiffin at UAB in Birmingham in a matter of weeks. Dr. McGiffin is ordering a 'range of valves' from the organ bank and he is to call me when he has a satisfactory range. To quote him "we keep the valves in a bank, they are frozen, and we take some out and defrost them as we need them." It was really hard not to laugh at that comment. It gives the impression of going to the grocery and picking out a slab of meat!
It was easy for me to decide which type of tissue valve after I decided that I definitely did not want mechanical. Eliminating mechanical was the hard part. Here are my reasons for choosing a homograft:
1) I'm only 31. Given my prospect for a long life span, I'm not ready to go on coumadin quite this young. Although I would probably be perfectly fine and not have complications from it, I think the longer you're on it the greater the chance of having serious complications. So mechanical is out for now.
2) The next thought was: Which type of tissue is best? Well another human aortic valve is most like what God gave me to begin with. Yipee, Homograft for me! Also, there are some cases of them lasting up to 20 years now. I hope to be one of them.
3) The Ross procedure is out for me because I know that I will have to have a reoperation (hopefully 15-20 yrs down the road) and I do not wish to have two reasons for the 2nd operation. I would like to lessen my chance of having two mechanical valves in the future.
4) Animal tissue is not completely ruled out. It just does not happen to be my first choice. I am trying to decide between animal tissue or ross procedure for my 2nd choice. I'm keeping positive with only 1 choice because Dr. McGiffin thinks he can get a homograft for me.
5) The other major factor in my decision is childbirth. My husband and I decided before we married last May that there would not be any children. He's 45. BUT you never know what the future may bring. If we change our minds, I want the option to have them. There is also a bit of self-esteem attached to that decision. I don't want to feel that my appeal as wife, lover, friend, mate is any way diminished because I'm not able to carry a child.
Geez, I'm talking a lot here. I have so much to do before this down time. Like get my closet organized! My husband hates these projects I think up for him! I'm having him design cubicles for me so that everything I store on the top shelf of the closet can be brought down and easily reached by me.
