my time has come

[pellicle]

looks like i'm about to have a mid-life MOT and service in a few months !

Not covered by warranty though sadly ;-)
So, a couple of hoses, a valve job and probably top off the fluids ...

 

[pekster11]

yeah i hope all that work doesnt put too much of dent in my credit card !

 

[Astro]

I have v low cholesterol and dont have high blood pressure. Am fairly sure I dont have atherosclerosis.

Is checking for atherosclerosis standard procedure before valve surgery ?

Checking for atherosclerosis is standard procedure. The rationale is that you could have a coronary bypass at the same time if required. Also it looks for altered coronary artery origins which might need replumming at the time of surgery.

Best wishes

 

[Duffey]

had my first pre-op appt today.
before a date for surgery can be set, they want to do a CT scan on me to check for clogged coronary arteries
they said if they find atherosclerosis they will sort that out at the same time as the valve replacement

I have v low cholesterol and dont have high blood pressure. Am fairly sure I dont have atherosclerosis.

Is checking for atherosclerosis standard procedure before valve surgery ?

Yes!

 

[PAN]

Hey there.

Best of luck with the upcoming scans and the operation itself.

I'm not far from you on the Wirral. Recently received a letter with a 1 to 2 year warning on it. Shall be watching your progress with great interest.

Best of luck

P

ps: Have been lurking in the shadows here for a while. An essential site for any patient. Should be mandatory reading. I thank you all..

 

[pekster11]

I'll keep you informed of all the pre-op appointments, and my progress post op

i'll be getting the op done at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital

 

[pekster11]

I've had the MDT meeting review back, regarding my heart problems

"This show severe aortic stenosis with peak velocity at 4.66 ms across the valve and mild to moderate aortic regurgitation. The aortic root dimensions are normal. LV size and function are normal. The mitral valve shows mild to moderate regurgitation with left atrial size normal. The right heart appears normal with trivial TR insufficient to give a PA pressure estimate"

Do you think they'll "repair" the mitral valve when they replace the aortic valve to fix the regurgitation problem?

Or will the aortic valve replacement likely fix that problem anyway ?

 

[Protimenow]

In regards to the Mitral valve, the surgeon will probably determine the best approach (if any) during surgery. Echo and other tests don't give as much information as actually visualizing heart function.

 

[Catie]

Best to you, Pekster. I didn't have symptoms, either, when my valve reached severe stage.

Hoping if your mitral valve needs surgical attention, a repair will suffice. It's always good, if you can keep original equipment.

 

[pellicle]

Hi

"This show severe aortic stenosis with peak velocity at 4.66 ms across the valve and mild to moderate aortic regurgitation. The aortic root dimensions are normal. LV size and function are normal.

seems pretty reasonable option set with stenosis being the issue that needs fixing

The mitral valve shows mild to moderate regurgitation with left atrial size normal. The right heart appears normal with trivial TR insufficient to give a PA pressure estimate"

that's good ....

Do you think they'll "repair" the mitral valve when they replace the aortic valve to fix the regurgitation problem?

I don't know enough to answer that but I would doubt that such regurgitation is worthy of interfering with the valve at all ... I would be guided by what they say.

Or will the aortic valve replacement likely fix that problem anyway ?

I don't think the regurgitation of the Mitral will be addresses by the Aortic valve.

but good questions for your cardio or better yet, the surgeon.

 

[pekster11]

thanks for that !

I'll be arranging my meeting with the surgeons next week, and will definitely ask them about the mitral valve

 

[carolinemc]

Had a phone call from the hospital today.
They want me in for pre-opp next week.

Surgery will be in January or February

Aortic valve replacement , plus repair on my dilatated ascending aorta

Still feel fine, no symptoms

Just ran 7km on the treadmill a few hours ago at a decent pace (14 km/hr)...wasnt out of breathe or anything

Pre op is to make sure you have no infection, no colds coming on. Checking your blood. Normal procedure. Nothing to it.

 

[Thomas]

In addition to the minor tests they did, we also sat through a presentation put on by one of the nurses that works on the cardiac floor. Gave a heads up on what to expect at all stages from admission through discharge and even some tips on what to expect at home in recovery.

 

[pekster11]

I met with one of the surgeons yesterday, and we agreed that the operation would be valve and aortic root replacement with a mechanical valve. He also indicated that the mild/moderate regurgitation of the mitral valve was probably being caused by the now severe aortic stenosis, but didnt foresee having to intervene with the mitral valve during the op.

He did say as the aortic root would need replacing this would make the surgery more complicated and risky.

How much more risky is aortic valve + root compared to just AVR ?

 

[pellicle]

How much more risky is aortic valve + root compared to just AVR ?

It complicates things and may increase time on the pump, but not any more significantly risky as far as I know.

 

[pekster11]

Yeah, getting the root done at the same time will hopefully stop problems that could have arisen if i'd be getting just the valve done

 

[pekster11]

Just ordered a Coagucheck INRange meter

i will be monitoring my INR range after the op , via spreadsheet , graphs, etc, ala Pellicle
keeping a check on standard deviation

 

[Protimenow]

I've had a spreadsheet monitoring my INR, dosage, testing device/location, and other items.

I haven't found the need to do a statistical analysis of these data points. (And I've taken graduate courses in biostatistics).

 

[pekster11]

surgery is due in 6-8 weeks

i had a CT scan a few weeks ago

results showed i will need the ascending aorta plus hemi-arch replacing, meaning time in deep HCA.
complicates things i suppose

gonna have a whopper scar down my chest after that !

 

[PAN]

Best of luck with the surgery.

I'm sure I will be in a similar situation soon enough. Have a surgical referral but yet to meet up. Had some calls about getting dental up to date.. Maybe it'll be months.

My ascending aorta and arch is slightly dilated (4.0) so I suspect some graft work. Not overthinking it until I have an actual plan from the surgeon. Valve will be the deciding factor for me so lets see what happens.

Hopefully this one surgery will be all you need. You will be set for quite some time hopefully. The hemiarch is interesting, guess it is down to the surgeon to remove as much diseased aorta as possible. Touch and feel ? Yesterday I stumbled upon an ancient post here mentioning "peninsula method". Will be curious to hear what the surgeon has to say.

I'll be at the same hospital so I'm interested to hear about your experience/opinion of your surgeon?

Also curious about your INR meter. Have you sourced this yourself or was it provided by NHS ? I have always been keen to start monitoring from the time I get home. Seems to make sense to track it as we learn.

Again, all the best.

P