New here - Getting ready for surgery 10/21

[THigginsVT]

Hi Bill

Just want say hello and wish you Good Luck with surgery.

Today is my 1 year anniversary for Valve Replacement and Bypass surgery.

I feel great !!! And can do a mean cha-cha!!

My EF was at 25% last year and I had a bovine valve (Medtronic)
and had to still take 6 months of Coumadin (testing) because of blood clot in shoulder. Now I am off it. Things worked out.

Best wishes. Tom (age 66)

 

[Lynlw]

Hi Bill

Just want say hello and wish you Good Luck with surgery.

Today is my 1 year anniversary for Valve Replacement and Bypass surgery.

I feel great !!! And can do a mean cha-cha!!

My EF was at 25% last year and I had a bovine valve (Medtronic)
and had to still take 6 months of Coumadin (testing) because of blood clot in shoulder. Now I am off it. Things worked out.

Best wishes. Tom (age 66)

I was wonderring about your valve, I didn't know Medtronic made bovine valves for the aorta

 

[Bill B]

I can only relate my own experience. I had an AVR with a tissue valve on 1/22/08 at the age of 66. That tissue valve is already giving me trouble.

I will need a replacement much sooner than five years much less 15 and I've been put on coumadin.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

Hi Marie:

Your case points out how none of this is terribly predictable. I've read a lot of studies of bio and mech valve issues over the past few weeks and I just got myself more confused. In the studies I read, the vast majority of older patients die before reoperation even becomes an issue and there is no great difference in risk of bleeding or stroke between them (bio w/o Coumadin vs. mech w/ Coumadin). On average there should be differences, but it's not set in concrete. I'll fuss over it a bit more today and tonight, then make the choice.

Thanks and I hope things settle down for you.

 

[Bill B]

OK, I'll be heading off to surgery in the am. My final decision was .............................
............................... mechanical.

I read dozens of papers on valve choice versus age, etc. All the studies involved all-comers, so a large share of patients had co-morbidity which significantly shortened their lives..CAD, HTN, renal disease, diabetes, lung disease. There really isn't a good analysis for "healthy" patients like me, but one examination of a lot of trials factored out the variables and argued that age alone is NOT a deciding factor. The co-morbidity is. With long life expectancy, regardless of age, mechanical is probably a better choice over all.
I've uploaded a pdf of this analysis here:
http://www.norcal928.org/files/risk_corrected_analysis_of_bio_v_mech.pdf

I'll be back.

Bill

 

[skeptic49]

OK, I'll be heading off to surgery in the am. My final decision was .............................
............................... mechanical.
I'll be back.

Bill

Good for you, Bill! You made the right choice IMHO. BEst of luck and we'll see you when you get back.

Best wishes,

Jim

 

[Maryka]

I pray your surgery goes very, very well!

 

[davidswife]

Best wishes today, Bill! You did a lot of research so you can be confident that you made the best choice. Hope everything goes smoothly and looking forward to reading your updates when you are able.

Nadine

 

[Lily]

Best wishes for all to go well, Bill .

 

[ShezaGirlie]

Hoping for smooth sailing as you journey through OHS today..

 

[Bill B]

To close this thread - I'm home today after successful surgery and doing very well.

 

[njean]

That is wonderful news! I hope that your recovery goes well & that you start feeling better & stronger with each passing day!

Stay well!

 

[TXWildflower]

It must be great to be back home and have this all behind you. Best of luck on a speedy recovery.

Rhena

 

[Bill B]

The post-op story continues in a post-op thread started by my new buddy Danny...

http://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33280

 

[Nicholas288]

Bill
I know this post will find you post op but I hope everything went great and you are on your road back.
I will be 40 in 2 week, have a bicuspid aortic valve and 5.0 anuerism. Like you I have no symptoms what so ever and only found out because of an exam based on bad family history.
My surgery will probably be coming soon.
Look forward to seeing how you did
All the best
Nick

 

[Bill B]

Nick:

I'm doing just great over all.

It's much better, I think, to do the surgery BEFORE you have symptoms, at least if the valve is rapidly shrinking like mine (i.e., surgery is inevitable anyway). That's not the traditional approach, but it should make for fewer post-op problems and quicker recovery and reduce the chance of some irreversible changes to the left ventricle, as well as reduce the chance of a catastrophic first symptom. Plus you know about the unpredictable consequences of an enlarged aorta. I don't know yet exactly what was found with my valve in the operating room, but my surgeon told my wife everything went well but it was clear I needed the operation NOW. My cardiologist was "watch and wait" since I seemed very healthy. Still, I went ahead with a surgical consult, mostly just to get some backgound information on options, but I ended up getting the surgery a few months later based on the surgeon's recommendation of doing it before the end of the year. Now he's saying he's glad I didn't wait that long.

Good luck to you.