No clicking on the aortic valve

[zipper2]

Well im home and saw Dr. Garbe got results yesterday and am in need of a
mitral valve replacement pretty soon,havent set date yet.
The clicker stopped in my mechanical aortic valve as the backflow of blood from mitral has not enough pressure to send the clicking sound of the mechanical valve out. Good news is the aortic valve of 16 years is in perfect shape and wont be replaced,just the mitral valve will be replaced. Im in
atrial fib he says and the aortic valves seated with mild regurgitation the mitrals rhuematic,thickened with severe regugitation,mean gradient 10mmhg with valve area 1.2cm,mild tricuspid regurgitation with rvsp 44 mmhg.
Bilateral atrial enlargement is noted.Left ventricle is normal in internal dimension with ejection fraction 60% no pericarical effusion.



Sorry got back so late but i played some hookey drove out to my parents
place ,then got home yesterday afternoon so i am exhausted and back to work monday the Dr will get ahold of me and also wants to do an angiogram to check out my coronary arteries due to family history of my dad and both brothers whom have passed away so im unsure when the angiogram or the vr will take place however it all will take place soon,in mean time im back to work monday am and just waiting to hear from Dr.Garbe within 2 weeks time
he said or sooner. So second time round and now i can fear what i do know from the 1st surgery.

Anyhow so far im calm its all good been there done all this but iv'e gotta keep busy or i think too much and then it's not anymore and
im scared outta my mind and think too much and feel like im thinkin too much and the worse i feel.Im tired of being tired and breathless so in away lookin forward to fixing it all then i think the aortic's 16 years old what if it goes after this surgery,but they say no its normally functioning So whatever gotta do whats now.



zipper2

 

[Freddie]

Been worried about you Zipper, so glad you posted.
Do your best and try to relax, don't over do things.
Hopefully your angiogram will be done soon.
Keep us posted.
And Take Care

 

[Bina]

Once the surgeon is in there fixing the mitral valve, he will have a good look at the aortic valve also.
It's good that the doctors are following you and will fix you up soon, you would not want to stay tired and anxious, worrying over every little thing.
Take care of yourself and rest when you feel the need to.

 

[marie]

Good luck and I do hope all goes well. Was your mitral valve leaking prior to the aortic being replaced?
Earline

 

[zipper2]

Marie it the mitral was leaking 16 years ago prior to the aortic valve
replacement,but the surgeon said they never touched it,as it would
outlast the mechanical av he was sure. All was great never had a problem
2 years ago i got endocarditis not sure if that added any stress to the
mitral valve,never got that far in asking the cardiologist. But yes it leaked
then and just Nov.-Dec. i started having some troubles with feeling ill and
it was round Dec. i lost the click on the aortic valve,which they say is fine
and will return clicking with the mitral replacement. Almost wish they'd
done the mitral also but they said it wasn't urgent and left it alone, now
it's leaking is severe. It'll all go good though ,cant have it go any other
way and the game plan now is think positive,which i am,and same for
my husband cus the other side of the fence is difficult for the family
as the one having the surgery,I have an 8 year old grandaughter,not
dealing well with this at all.


Zipper2

 

[marie]

Well you are certainly in my thoughts and prayers. I would certainly not want another valve replacement or any surgery for that matter but you do what you gotta do. Yes it is hard on your loved ones as well.

Keep us posted and stay positive. I'll be looking for your updates.
Earline

 

[upchurch131]

Zipper,

Best wishes going forward. Isn't the mitral valve one of those that can be done minimally invasive and robotically? As long as that aorta isn't involved, this one can be a breeze!

 

[zipper2]

upchurch, I haven't really discussed surgical side of this with
the cardiologist,so im unsure from 16 years what the technology
advances are.
don't forget i'm in Canada not much happens robotically here although
iv'e heard edmonton Alberta has made some major advances there
maybe Pamela if your aware from Cold Lake Alta. youve heard more
about Edmonton's advances a cousin of mine and her husband toured
this location and the advances of valve surgery are just overwhelming.
About a 7 hr. drive for me to there.However im sure my phone call is
coming up and it wont be long before my inquiry mind will ask my Doc.
all the surgical questions,im wondering too if he's gonna want an
angiogram now that its definate from test results I need mv surgery
to replace the valve......a waiting game ...but for good reasons and
i'm sure i will do my best to give the perseverance and think positive
whatever way the surgery happens,the same or different,my concerns
to get rid of the symptoms and get my aortic valve clicking again so
as i can sleep (lol) since ive lost the click in the mechanical of 16 years
it's even effected all people around me cause they dont hear it now
anymore,amazing what we adjust to in life,looking forward to two
clickers

zipper2

 

[pamela]

The Royal Alex in Edmonton has a daVinci robot that they've been using in their urology department. I think they hope to begin using the device for MIS mitral valve and bypass surgery in the near future but they've only had the robot for about a year.

You can read about the new Cardiac Hospital (inside the Walter MacKenzie Health Sciences Building) Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, officially opened this year at the University of Alberta.

I didn't look into minimally invasive/beating heart surgery since my problems involve the aortic valve and aorta. I hope they can help you soon. I can vouch for the excellent and caring staff at the U of A hospital cardiology department. They are extraordinary. The only drawback involved is that you feel a little bit like a zoo specimen since everyone sees you on almost every doctors' rounds and sometimes the trainees poke a little clumsily when they're looking for a vein.

But, med students and techs gotta learn in a teaching hospital, right?

 

[zipper2]

Thanks pamela so much,
I knew you'd know more about it
Thanks again!!!!





Zipper2