Scared Newbie

[DeWayne]

I am gathering lots of good info from all you guys. Here are a couple of questions:


* Once out of the hospital and assuming all went well how frequent does your surgeon want to see you? Atlanta (Emory) is a good drive from home. Should distance to the hospital be a consideration?

* I saw a comment about "floaters". What are we talking about here?

* Is expecting to return to a desk job in 6 weeks reasonable?

* I am going to the gym daily. Treatmill for 35 minutes and light weights. I do not smoke or drink (yet) but love to eat. I am trying to lose weight. Any other suggestions to get myself ready?

* Is a sternotomy the procdecure of cutting through the chest?

* Anybody know tonight's winning lottery numbers?

Thanks for the info. Guess I will find out more when I meet with a surgeon Wed. (Jan.2nd).

CP

I saw my surgeon once after surgery. it was about 6 weeks after the fact.
I would choose experience over distance every time. People come in from all over the world to go to Emory, Macon ain't that far lol.

Losing weight is not necessary I lost 16# the weeks after surgery

6 weeks is a bit ambitious to return to work, I went back at 8 weeks. I did get to return to driving at 4 weeks though.

 

[Guest]

Welcome!

Welcome!

I wish you the best of luck with your upcoming surgery. I saw my surgeon 6 weeks post op, and I'm not sure why but he wants to see me again in 7 weeks. My surgeon, his PAs, and my cardiologist visited with me each day while in the hospital, the cardiologist discharged me after the surgeon's sign off, follow up with the cardiologist for a base line echo 4 wks post op, will have a repeat echo on Jan 7th, follow up with cardio on Jan 16th.

Have you ever watched day time television? It can be worse than prime time actually. I am returning to work full-time on the 2nd, almost 7 weeks post op, desk job, brain work, not too much physical stuff. Now, brain work can tire you too.

I started cardiac rehab, will go 3 times wk for 3 months. I'm also walking at home between the visits, they ask me if I have and for how long. You'll definitely want to take advantage of cardiac rehab, if they don't offer, ask for it.

Good luck with the lotto numbers, Happy New Year too!

 

[pamela]

I saw my surgeon 3 times post-op but that was because my stentless free-style was the 39th Dr. Modry had implanted (although he'd done countless valve replacements and is the head of transplant surgery at the U of A Hosp) and I was on full aortic study echoes and detailed follow up for 5 years.

I've only seen him once post-surgery 2 and that was only for a wound healing check. Your cardiologist knows more about the function of your heart, your surgeon is best at structure. Look at it this way, you hire an architect to design but a carpenter to build; both are skilled at what they do, but I wouldn't ask either to do the other's job.

 

[MaryC]

CP,
I had a mitral valve repair via port access this last February. I agree with everyone that it is important to seek out a surgeon who specializes in repairs. Before my surgery I was not having any obvious symptoms and exercised right up to the surgery. My sister also had a mitral valve repair in June. Before coming to Dallas to have her surgery performed by Dr William Ryan, she met with a surgeon who specialized in the Da Vinci method. She opted not to go that direction for several reasons. Perhaps she will be along in a little bit and give details from her meeting with the surgeon and her own research.

 

[cp172]

Do any of you guys that are on warfin take vitamins? I have avoid because of the Vitamin K issue.

Boy is it good to have someone to ask all these questions. I used to watch a lot of football but the Atlanta Falcons cured me of that. I now spend a lot of time reading all the new posts on HV forum.

God Bless

CP

 

[distances]

Welcome to the site. I agree the fear of the surgery was also the worst part for me--fear of the unknown. Pain meds after surgery works wonders. You've come to the right place. Knowledge and learning everything you can from sites like this one and talking to everyone online are the best antidotes. I also agree that finding the best surgeon is the most important issue, and a good surgeon is well worth traveling to if need be. Once again, welcome and keep in touch.

 

[Guest]

Do any of you guys that are on warfin take vitamins? I have avoid because of the Vitamin K issue.

I'm not taking any right now. You should be able to take vitamins, consistency is the key. You could always ask your local pharmacist which one would be best, that does not have twice the amount of vit K.

 

[BackDoc]

Yes I do. I take a multi-vitamin as well as fish oil. I am currently on cumadin because of a bout of A-fib.

So far my INR has been right on the mark for the past two weeks. My cardiologist told me not to change a thing, and he doesn't want to do another INR check for 3 weeks.

The amount of vit K in most daily one-a-day vitamins is very little.

However, please keep in mind that a smart doctor will dose the patient and the diet, as opposed to making you paranoid about everything that you ingest.

 

[cp172]

Thanks for the vitamin update. Good info. Anyone want to explain what a mitral valve repair with an annular ring placement is? I see where Distances had this description in his/her response.

The wait to see the surgeon is driving me crazy.If Wal Mart could do the surgery I think I would rush down just to get it over. My wife and I have decided the sooner we can schedule surgery the better even though I have not had any symptons. I hope all you guys have a Happy New Year!!


CP

 

[ruth]

Hey there CP, just dropped in to welcome you to the Forum!!

I'm sitting here typing with an annular ring in my heart right now!

It's a ring made of some techno material that is used in some repairs to hold the outer edge of the valve (in my case mitral) in the egg shape it should be in.

BTW, it looks *great* on an X-Ray!

Waiting is the worst part, but don't get so worked up that you'd let the folks at WalMart operate, stick around & let a pro do it.

Peace,
Ruth

 

[cp172]

Ruth,

So was your valve fixed or replaced? Are you on blood thinner? How was your recovery?

Hope you are well.

Happy New Year,

CP

 

[cp172]

Guys,

Looks like I went from the parking lot to the waiting room today. I spend almost an hour with a surgeon today who told me that I need to go ahead and deal with my mitral valve which has severe regurgutation. Injection faction is 65%, chamber is dilated and I have occasional AF. He answered every question I had and many I did not think to ask.

The surgeon did over 100 valve jobs last year which he has been doing for 10 years. 40% of the procedures were mitral valve. He said I had an 85% chance of having the valve repaired. As someone on another posted advised we devloped a Plan B which will be a Medtronic Mosaic valve if the repair can not be done. Inaddition the surgeon will do an ablation to hopefully fix the AF and a procedure to reduce the size of the chamber that is enlarged. He said this would be done by minimal invasive surgery unless he decides otherwise.

The plan is to go into the hospital the first week of February and have a heart cath to make sure my pipes are ok.I will remain in the hospital for two days afterward while they load me with heprain (? unsure about spelling). After two days I will have the OHS.

The surgeon says that he has a 97% batting average. He said since I am not having any symptons that the three months after surgery would be some of the worst I have ever had.

Thanks to everyone for being there. God Bless.


CP

 

[netmiff]

well, I've said it before and I'll say it again - waiting IS the hardest part ! I am 52, not particularly fit, but reasonably healthy, and had an aortic valve replace just less than 4 months age; I was up and at it in a few weeks, although things like sneezing and coughing were downright painful for about 3 months. I am still not doing too much heavy lifting (wet laundry is about it for now, no shovelling snow and so on).

Sounds like you've covered all the bases with your surgeon, it is good to have a game plan, and a plan B, too. Now, just keep yourself healthy, no stress and a positive attitude - life can be really good on this side of the mountain

 

[cp172]

Heart downsized

Heart downsized

Thanks Netmiff. Love your picture.

With all the info my surgeon gave me yesterday I did not ask questions about having my heart chamber downsized during the valve repair. Is this something any of you guys have gone through? Can anyone describe?

Thanks,

CP

 

[Adrienne]

Within the first year, the chambers of your heart that are dilated should shrink. My left ventricle, which was slightly dilated, went back to normal. My left atrium which was quite dilated, shrunk at least a centimeter, although it is still slightly enlarged.

 

[cp172]

Adrienne,

Thanks for the info. In my case the surgeon said he would give my heart a nip/tuck and make the chamber smaller. This normal?

Thanks,


CP

Mitral valve surgery scheduled for 1st of February

 

[JAJ99]

CP,
I spoke with my cardiologist on my post-surgery visit specifically about the enlarged chambers. He told me that he expects my left ventricle to "remodel" itself to normal. It was already smaller 3 days after surgery than prior to surgery. The atriums are not as "elastic" so those won't change as much, he told me. Hope that helps. I also had the annuloplasty ring that Ruth is talking about.

I'm about 10 weeks post-op and I feel almost back to normal. I can shovel light snow, carry laundry and groceries, exercise, do almost everything. The times goes quickly. Mentally, post-surgery is easier than pre-surgery. You'll be on the other side of the mountain before you know it.
Jean

 

[cp172]

Jean,

I am glad to hear you are almost back to normal. It is a real blessing to hear such stories. Did you have minimal invasive surgery? My surgeon plans to go this route if possible and I just do not see how they can do everything in such a small incision. I probably need to stop worrying about all the details.

Thanks again,

MP

 

[marie]

Jean,

I am glad to hear you are almost back to normal. It is a real blessing to hear such stories. Did you have minimal invasive surgery? My surgeon plans to go this route if possible and I just do not see how they can do everything in such a small incision. I probably need to stop worrying about all the details.

Thanks again,

MP

Well I am worrying about all the details as well.

 

[gadgetman]

CP,

Welcome from a fellow Georgian.

First, to the lottery question, computer pick (or divine intervention) have about the same odds of success. For example, how many of your neighbors are Millionaires??? But you can't win if you DON'T PLAY!!!!

I am also a valve ?ringer?. I have a ring around my Mitral Valve. It makes for a very interesting X-Ray. I went in expecting to come out ?clickin ?n tickin? because my surgeon didn?t give much hope (we didn't even discuss it) of a repair. Imagine my surprise when I woke up with a REPAIR. So far, everything is great.

I had an ablation about three years before my OHS which corrected my problems in that regard. I had that done at St Josephs in Atlanta. I expected to return there for my OHS but my Cardio in Columbus HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (?He is the one I would send my family to? was his answer) Dr. McGiffin at UAB Hospital in Birmingham AL for my surgery. I was well pleased with both him and the hospital.

Feel free to ask questions here. We have a wealth of info (and more reliable than the Lotto) here at our fingertips. I think the best information you can get is from here. Most of us have ?been there, done that, and LIVED?. We can (and will) offer our opinion and share experiences but I must stress that the FINAL DECISION must be left to you (thru consult with your family and surgeon).

Good Luck and May God Bless,

Danny