Regurgitating Valves

[FloralD]

Just been reading Sci.med.cardiology newsgroup as I do everyday. Someone had ask a question about the significance of this diagnosis (regurgitating valves) and one of the answers was from a doctor(I think) in a university in Australia. He describes the treatments but says that surgical treatment "has significant issues for the patient's future". What do you think he is referring to? Lots of people have valve repairs and replacements. I don't look forward to my surgery but hoped that afterwards I will be able to do things I can't do now - had problems just sweeping path to the house yesterday! By the way, I have asked him and will post the response to you all but wanted to hear what you say about it. Maybe he is referring to warfarin(coumadin).
Hope everyone is hanging in there. Maybe this message should be in post surgery section?
Cheerio from Diana in sunny Manchester

 

[Mara]

Diana-

This guy, if he is a doctor, may be talking about coumadin/warfarin, and he may also be talking about the need to a second operation down the road. Or he may have seen some operations that had bad outcomes. There is a lot of info out there both good and bad about valve replacement. I know I went through a ton of medical journal articles on the Ross Procedure and waffled between knowing I wanted it and then not being sure. A lot of Rosses go bad because the patient has a host of other health issues. The same can be said for all valve operations.

Sometimes you have to watch out for what people post on newsgroups, the info is bad sometimes and some people just try to scare you. I was on a newsgroup that was a bunch of cry-babies talking about how sad it was for them that they needed surgery. That was not my style and there was a lot of wrong info floating around on that newsgroup. This site is up-beat and helpful.

You should deal with you and what your doctors say. Everyone is different. Take stock in what your docs tell you and not in what a doc on the otehr side of the world who has never seen you says.

-Mara

 

[Nancy]

Hi Diana-

I would suggest that you read the Thread on this website started by Peter Easton called Making the choice: RP, homograft, mechanical, tissue it discusses at great length all the different types of valves and good points and bad points for each.

Once you have done that and get some ideas about possible choices for yourself, you can do another search for particular valves. This should bring up personal experiences related to particular valves.

I guess you're in the study phase of approaching your possible surgery. There's a wealth of information here which should assist you in gaining the information you seek. I have to agree with Mara in her remarks.

The very most important thing to remember about valve surgery is that it is a life saver. Without it, in the past people with these heart conditions would die. So don't be put off one more minute by someone who has a negative attitude about valve surgery.

Surgery can and does help people everyday get better and live out their normal lifespans.

Take care and be well, good luck with your research.

 

[FloralD]

Thank you both. The man in Australia did come back. He is obviously a professional of some sort - maybe studying to be a doctor. He said he was referring to the warfarin issue. That particular newsgroup has a scientific slant so I will keep reading it but as you both say we have to make up our own minds about these things. My surgery would have occurred last Sept but I think I told you I had to have bowel surgery in August. Just waiting now to see the heart surgeon and hoping he can repair the valve which he said was a possibility as "in time, you may need the aortic valve doing". My heart is obviously deteriorating so I hope I can be helped. During surgery in Dec to reverse the bowel stoma I was A-systole and as a consequence had to see the local cardiologist who was a real bundle of laughs. He suggested the heart surgeon may not want to treat me as, in 6 months, there could be something on my liver. But as my GP says, in ten years there may be nothing wrong with your liver! I will go forward hopefully.