New to group -- recently upgraded from original Aortic valve to St. Jude's Mechanical

[qb9285]

Hello All,

As the title of my post indicates, I had my Aortic valve replaced and Aneurysm fixed, Feb 8th 2006 at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. The surgery and recovery seem to be going well. I'm a male 38 and I had a St.Judes Mechanical "installed".

I have a few questions for the group:

1. Post surgery, do we still need to take Antibiotic for dental procedures -- seems like the risk of endocarditis would no longer exist? (I have dentist appointment next week)

2. I've heard that Coumadin causes "shortness of breath" or "difficulty breathing? because thin blood carries less Oxygen from the heart to Lungs etc. Has anyone experienced this?

3. How soon after surgery can you start an intense exercise program? Is there anyone on a St Jude Mechanical ? jogging etc.

4. How many licks does it take to the center of a tootsie roll , tootsie pop?

Scott..

 

[Ross]

Hi Scott and welcome

1. Yes all dental procedures require antibiotic treatment.

2.Coumadin does not "thin" the blood, it merely alters it's clotting properties. I think some have complained of shortness of breath, but I honestly do not think it's the Coumadin. Check with Al Lodwick in the Anticoag forum and see if he's had any patients complain to him about it. Now if your on a Beta Blocker such as Atenolol/Tenormin, this may be the cause of breathlessness.

Although side effects from warfarin are not common, they can occur. Warfarin may turn your urine red-orange; this effect is harmless. If you think your urine contains blood, call your doctor immediately. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

headache
upset stomach
diarrhea
fever
skin rash
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

unusual bleeding or bruising
black or bloody stools
blood in the urine
tiredness
unexplained fever
chills
sore throat
stomach pain

3. As soon as your Doctor allows you too. Usually 4 to 6 weeks.

4. I have yet to get the answer.

 

[Karlynn]

Welcome Scott!

Ross mentioned our member Al Lodwick. He is our warfarin angel in the form of a registered anticoagulation specialist/pharmacist. He has his own web site that you will want to bookmark. www.warfarinfo.com

Unfortunately there are still a lot of myth and old, out-dated information going around out there about Coumadin. This site and Al's is a good place to go to debunk those myths.

Have you done cardiac rehab? If not, you may want to look into it. It's a good way to get back into physical exercise with the security of monitoring you while you workout.

 

[Ross]

I'm moving this to anticoag since it's mostly dealing with that issue.

 

[Wise]

Welcome Scott. I haven't been down the road of surgery, so I can't help out in that category. I did notice that you have a sense of humor in tact though. Have you tried to answering the tootsie pop question yourself? Maybe some of our friends in recovery can use some of their time finding out.

Wise

 

[geebee]

Welcome to VR.com. Here are some answers:

1. Yes
2. No
3. 4-6 weeks
4. As many as it takes OR 17 licks and 1 bite

Seriously tho, I have never heard about coumadin causing shortness of breath.
I hope your recovery is uneventful and you are back to jogging soon. It sounds like your attitude will play a very positive role in getting you there.
Take care.

 

[catwoman]

1. Antibotics should be taken for any "invasive" procedure, which includes any dental procedure. Ask your primary care physician for an antibiotic RX to use for dentals and for anything.
2. No.
3. Ask your surgeon/cardiologist/primary care physician.
4. Depends on the flavor. Chocolate or cherry, 1 and a bite. Orange/lemon/pineapple: don't touch 'em.
Question: Wouldn't margarita-flavored Tootsie Roll Pops be wonderful?

 

[Guest]

This thread is proof that there is a long, long, long way to go with warfarin training. Here he comes home from the place that bills itself as the best heart center in the world and he hasn't been told that warfarin does not thin the blood.

 

[ClickTicker]

Hello All,

3. How soon after surgery can you start an intense exercise program? Is there anyone on a St Jude Mechanical ? jogging etc.

Scott..

My question to you would be what is your idea of "intense"? Having known about my condition my whole life, I never did anything before having my valve replaced. A few years after having it replaced I took up biking and running and completed a 25k as my longest. But I've also been told since then that I shouldn't work out at above 70% of my maximum target heart rate or (220 - Age) x 0.70 = Target. For me, this amounts to a very brisk walk up a slope on a treadmill. For others, this might be a jog.

A lot of this stuff depends on which cardiologist you talk to though.