New Here, and Mitral Valve Question

[dornole]

Hi everyone, glad to have found this. I have mitral valve issues from rheumatic fever. Originally stenosis, which caused congestive heart failure and an emergency delivery when I was pregnant with twins (Dr, I can't sleep lying down and am coughing up blood . . . admitted to cardiac unit . . . whistled over to different hospital with a NICU . . . coded on the delivery table but brought back to life . . . mitral valvuloplasty a month later then brought home our 27 weeker preemies two months after that. Good times!!)

That was about 11 years ago and I have been trucking along just fine. However on my last annual echo I was put on the 6 month plan for rechecks, heading toward a replacement. Dr says the issue is not so much stenosis as regurgitation now.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had mitral replacement after repair, time repair lasted, if you ever developed symptoms again, really just looking for shared experiences or advice. I'm 45 and otherwise healthy.

Thanks!

Deb

 

[Nupur]

Hi, Deb. Welcome. I can't speak from experience because my mitral valve is regurgitant not stenotic, but I know people who have had multiple valvuloplasties, and eventually replacement when they did not work any more. I think by repair you meant the valvuloplasties, right? There's many people who have had that. I hope you get some answers that you are looking for. Best of luck!

 

[Marty]

Hi everyone, glad to have found this. I have mitral valve issues from rheumatic fever. Originally stenosis, which caused congestive heart failure and an emergency delivery when I was pregnant with twins (Dr, I can't sleep lying down and am coughing up blood . . . admitted to cardiac unit . . . whistled over to different hospital with a NICU . . . coded on the delivery table but brought back to life . . . mitral valvuloplasty a month later then brought home our 27 weeker preemies two months after that. Good times!!)

That was about 11 years ago and I have been trucking along just fine. However on my last annual echo I was put on the 6 month plan for rechecks, heading toward a replacement. Dr says the issue is not so much stenosis as regurgitation now.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had mitral replacement after repair, time repair lasted, if you ever developed symptoms again, really just looking for shared experiences or advice. I'm 45 and otherwise healthy.

Thanks!

Deb

I had mitral regurg from the start. I was offered repair but after much thought went for a St Jude mechanical. That was fifteen years ago and its still working fine. If you are not planning more pregnancies I would recommend a mechanical valve. warfarin is no big deal now with many of us self testing and self dosing using the wonderful INRATIO AND COAGUCHEK monitors