With all of our heart replacements and repairs, are we all considered to have heart disease?
One Quick Question
- Thread starter Freddie
- Start date
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kfay
Well-known member
Freddie, I am considered to have adult congenital heart disease. I do not have any adult onset heart disease. Don't know if this really answers your question.
Kim
Kim
I'm looking for an answer to this statement:
High risk medical conditions include:
- heart disease
High risk medical conditions include:
- heart disease
Marcia58
Well-known member
I asked my cardio that very question. His response was basically: "Once a heart disease patient, always a heart disease patient."
I think his reasoning was that there's still so much unknown about how the heart works, and the interconnectedness of everything, there's no way of absolutely guaranteeing that we'll never have problems again.
HTH
Marcia
I think his reasoning was that there's still so much unknown about how the heart works, and the interconnectedness of everything, there's no way of absolutely guaranteeing that we'll never have problems again.
HTH
Marcia
Last edited:
you need to provide more detail to that question. some heart issues
are due to an ongoing disease that must be treated for life. in that
case i'd say you "have" heart disease. other issues are one-off deals due
to injury or a side-effect of another prior issue. once you're fixed, i'd
say you "had" heart disease.
what is your quote in relation to? insurance? disneyland rides? pre-nup?
life insurance? pre-employment screening? health unsurance?
the answer is going to depend on what organization is asking the question,
as they all have different definitions and different reasons for asking.
rich: some of these organizations are going to make a distinction between a
congenital defect and an injury and a disease symptom.
marcia: there's the problem. health unsurance companies think the same way.
even if your surgery is to repair a slight nick in a coronary artery caused by an
auto accident, you've had heart surgery, and are considered a heart patient.
good luck with getting approved. my experience is they don't ask why, they don't
want to know any details. heart surgery? denied.
congenital defect and an injury and a disease symptom.
marcia: there's the problem. health unsurance companies think the same way.
even if your surgery is to repair a slight nick in a coronary artery caused by an
auto accident, you've had heart surgery, and are considered a heart patient.
good luck with getting approved. my experience is they don't ask why, they don't
want to know any details. heart surgery? denied.
Marcia58
Well-known member
I'm "officially" a heart patient with no restrictions.
Post-op I've done pretty much what I wanted to.
Post-op I've done pretty much what I wanted to.
Philip B
Well-known member
Quick Answer
Quick Answer
Here's a quick answer...yes.
-Philip
Quick Answer
Here's a quick answer...yes.
-Philip
CD, my questions comes from the following statement regarding the infamous H1N1 flu shot in my area.
Immunization is being offered to the following high risk groups ONLY:
*
children over 6 months to less than 5 years of age
*
pregnant women more than 20 weeks (if less than 20 weeks contact 655-4#%* before you attend a clinic)
*
women who are up to 4 weeks postpartum
Friday, November 6
*
all of the above risk groups and
*
women who are pregnant less than 20 weeks. Non-adjuvanted vaccine is available.
Saturday, November 7
*
all of the risk groups above and
*
medically high risk children age 5 up to and including Grade 6
High risk medical conditions include:
- heart disease
- asthma and chronic lung disease
- kidney disease
- difficulty handling respiratory secretions
- diabetes and other metabolic diseases
- weakened immune systems (people talking cancer drugs
or people with HIV/AIDS)
- neurological disorders
- blood disorders
- conditions treated for long periods with ASA
- severe obesity.
Adrienne
Well-known member
I've been wondering about this question too since I would like to have a vaccination sooner rather than later.
you'd have to ask your doctor what it means in this case.
but my guess is......you had a valve replacement (probably) due to rheumatic fever, which (probably) led to endocarditis. you no longer
have rheumatic fever, nor do you have any endocarditis in your system.
my situation is similar. annual strep throat when younger. cardio thinks
one of those episodes was undiagnosed rf which led to endocarditis.
no way to prove it, though. too long ago, and culture tests show no
remaining yucky stuff in my blood.
as far as i know, we're not at any more risk than 'normal' people for
re-contracting either of those. it's all over. it's done. we're no longer,
in my opinion, heart patients, no longer have heart disease.
so in this case, there's no more 'high' in the risk.
could you argue that having previously having rf/endo and contracting
h1n1 will make you more likely to re-contract rf/endo? i don't believe
this is the case, but if so, that would make you high-risk, not the prior
valve replacement.
but my guess is......you had a valve replacement (probably) due to rheumatic fever, which (probably) led to endocarditis. you no longer
have rheumatic fever, nor do you have any endocarditis in your system.
my situation is similar. annual strep throat when younger. cardio thinks
one of those episodes was undiagnosed rf which led to endocarditis.
no way to prove it, though. too long ago, and culture tests show no
remaining yucky stuff in my blood.
as far as i know, we're not at any more risk than 'normal' people for
re-contracting either of those. it's all over. it's done. we're no longer,
in my opinion, heart patients, no longer have heart disease.
so in this case, there's no more 'high' in the risk.
could you argue that having previously having rf/endo and contracting
h1n1 will make you more likely to re-contract rf/endo? i don't believe
this is the case, but if so, that would make you high-risk, not the prior
valve replacement.
Philip B
Well-known member
The Point?
The Point?
If this quick question is about eligibility to receive a H1N1 shot, I suspect whether folks who have had valve replacement fall into the risk catagory associated with heart disease will depend upon how local public health officials intrepret the rules.
I was already approached by county public health officials and told that I would qualify as high risk candidate. I guess some health care professionals consider people who've had heart valves replaced as fragile. I passed on the offer to get the shot.
The best way to get a quick, accurate answer is to visit with the officials in your area about their interpretation of the rules. Speculation among members here makes for interesting, fun discussion, but the people who interpret the rules in your area probably won't be doing any posts here to answer your question.
-Philip
The Point?
If this quick question is about eligibility to receive a H1N1 shot, I suspect whether folks who have had valve replacement fall into the risk catagory associated with heart disease will depend upon how local public health officials intrepret the rules.
I was already approached by county public health officials and told that I would qualify as high risk candidate. I guess some health care professionals consider people who've had heart valves replaced as fragile. I passed on the offer to get the shot.
The best way to get a quick, accurate answer is to visit with the officials in your area about their interpretation of the rules. Speculation among members here makes for interesting, fun discussion, but the people who interpret the rules in your area probably won't be doing any posts here to answer your question.
-Philip
tex
Well-known member
Im another who have thought this too, when filling forms in etc. I have just received my letter from my GP asking me too make an appointment for my swine flu jab as im classed as a high risk.
My GP always says i have heart disease even now, i have had an AVR and Mitral valve repair, will always have to go and have regular echos and ECG'S, will be on Warafrin for the rest of my life, yes my heart is fixed now, but it will always have the Mechanical valve in it and the ring in to fix my mitral valve, so really i would say yes to your question.
Hope this makes sense.
Take Care
Jane
My GP always says i have heart disease even now, i have had an AVR and Mitral valve repair, will always have to go and have regular echos and ECG'S, will be on Warafrin for the rest of my life, yes my heart is fixed now, but it will always have the Mechanical valve in it and the ring in to fix my mitral valve, so really i would say yes to your question.
Hope this makes sense.
Take Care
Jane
srinivassusu
Well-known member
Freddie, I am more fit than pre op. Only diffrence i am finding is after post op iam consious about my food habbits, cardio which is to be followed by even healthy persons. I feel God has done few mistakes during the formation of our body in the Heaven.HE has given chance to live in the world. Whatever corrections are made He did on the Earth. Just keep good food habbits, do regular cardio and do service to the humanity .WE ARE NOT AT ALL HEART PATIENTS.
SRINIVAS
Aneurysmal dilation of aortic root and ascending aorta withdissection,BAV,mod.AR.
Mod. Bental DC Bono surgery with#25 mm St.Jude medical valved conduit
Surgeon: Dr K.s. Neelakandan,Dr.Sridar CARE Hospital, Bangara Hills,Hyderabad,India
SRINIVAS
Aneurysmal dilation of aortic root and ascending aorta withdissection,BAV,mod.AR.
Mod. Bental DC Bono surgery with#25 mm St.Jude medical valved conduit
Surgeon: Dr K.s. Neelakandan,Dr.Sridar CARE Hospital, Bangara Hills,Hyderabad,India
Here's the ACC's view, from the Guidelines for treatment of patients with valvular heart disease:
9.3.2 Follow-Up Visits in Patients Without Complications
Patients who have undergone valve replacement are not cured but still have serious heart disease. They have exchanged native valve disease for prosthetic valve disease and must be followed with the same care as patients with native valve disease .
There have been threads on this topic in the past, and apparently a lot of people object to this phrase.
Maybe the guideline to follow for getting the H1N1 vaccine is 'Let them say no.'
9.3.2 Follow-Up Visits in Patients Without Complications
Patients who have undergone valve replacement are not cured but still have serious heart disease. They have exchanged native valve disease for prosthetic valve disease and must be followed with the same care as patients with native valve disease .
There have been threads on this topic in the past, and apparently a lot of people object to this phrase.
Maybe the guideline to follow for getting the H1N1 vaccine is 'Let them say no.'
dsouter
Well-known member
I believe that we are in the high risk group for flu shots as any high fever is potentially fatal.I do not believe it is Heart disease.
My brother in law died from the regular flu a few years ago.
High fever left untreated too long got him.
He had a mechanical Aortic Valve and was 28.
Yes, I think so
Yes, I think so
Hi Freddie
For the purposes you mentioned about the H1N1. My PCP innoculated us because he felt we are "high risk". Me because of the mechanical valve and my spouse because of his stent. It's probably due to avoiding hospitalization costs.
I've taken 81 mgs aspirin daily because it's anti-platelet. So there's another reason.
You've probably know about the chaos at the clinics--long wait times. I don't know why they didn't open more clinics and innoculate children at school.
Distribution was very badly handled in some cases.
Yes, I think so
Hi Freddie
For the purposes you mentioned about the H1N1. My PCP innoculated us because he felt we are "high risk". Me because of the mechanical valve and my spouse because of his stent. It's probably due to avoiding hospitalization costs.
I've taken 81 mgs aspirin daily because it's anti-platelet. So there's another reason.
You've probably know about the chaos at the clinics--long wait times. I don't know why they didn't open more clinics and innoculate children at school.
Distribution was very badly handled in some cases.
Ross
Well-known member
Bottom line, if you've had a valve replacement, YES you have heart disease. You are marked for life as such.
