Success Rate of AVR OHS

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enkaynj

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 5, 2011
Messages
225
Location
New Jersey, USA
As my AVR OHS date gets closer, I have all kinds of questions swirling in my mind. One of them being, "Am I rushing into this and should I have waited". Can anyone share any numbers on what the success rate (or rather the morbidity rate) of AVR OHS procedures ? Even better, does anyone know of cases where the operation did not succeed and the patient passed away ? I know these are things I should not be thinking of and should always stay positive but it would be comforting if I knew for sure that the success rate of this procedure is pretty high.
 
For valve replacement ,death rate is about 1% in the hands of one of the top four hospitals , I just had my 2nd OHS and I pushed to get it done and behind me I think I could have waited another year. I am glad I did now my recovery is going very good. I just could not see how letting things go down hill was a good idea. The cardiologist want to waite until most folks can not waite any longer because of symptoms. I said no lets do it. For me so far so good three weeks out now and walking two miles a day and feeling good with my new ONX arotic valve.
 
I just had my surgery March 4. I was told there is a 3% chance of not making it and a 10% chance I would come out it with a pacemaker. I would say that the 3% would be worst case. Surgeons have made this surgery procedure pretty much routine. There is a 30% chance of developing Afib after an AVR. I did not have any of these problems and I would not stress over any of this if I were you. If you have been told you need the surgery, I would'nt worry about being too soon. I was barely symptomatic when I had mine and recovered in record time with no problems. The healther you are going in, the better you will recover. Everyone on this site will tell you "the waiting is the worst part" and it is. In my case, it was not at all as dreadful as I expected. There was really little pain. I had my nose operated on several years ago and I honestly would rather gone through the OHS. Think positive thoughts and you will be fine!
John
 
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enkaynj said:
........but it would be comforting if I knew for sure that the success rate of this procedure is pretty high.
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You can be assured that the success rate of OHS is very high. Take comfort in the fact that you can be "fixed" and will be able to enjoy a long, active, healthy life afterwords. The 1%, referred to in the earlier post, is a good figure for an otherwise healthy patient......and those are very good odds. This surgery goes back 50+ years, so you can be comforted in knowing you are at the tail end of a long list of successful surgeries.:thumbup:
 
I just had AVR on the 7th, I can tell you I had posted those fears and many more here, only to be comforted by the knowledge of those who came before. I was terrified, and it sounds cleche', but waiting really is the worst part. You wake up after and every day is better than the one before. I came home Sunday, less than a week in the hosp. Great surgeon, great nursing staff, lots of prayers and a whole lot of determination on my part. I have an on-x 23mm and am on warfarin daily. That part is not even a big deal in the scheme of things. You will be fine. I think too the more you "put out there" your thoughts, the easier it is to deal with. I can promise, there is nothing you feel or think that someone else here has not already thougth or felt. Hang in there, you'll do great!!!
 
Just remember this -- While OHS may be the single biggest event in our lives, to our surgeons, doctors and care teams it is "just another day at the office."

They do this all the time, just as you do your own job all the time. What seems insurmountable to mere mortals such as ourselves can be very routine to those who specialize in doing it regularly.

Once you've chosen your dates, your valve, your surgeon and your hospital, the rest is just waiting in line until your turn.

If control freaks like myself and some of the others around here can manage it, I'm sure you'll do fine.
 
there is always danger in whatever surgery we have, even tonsils pulled. Course heart surgery is more serious than most surgeries and many (maybe most or all) of us are told that we can die. However, look at the numbers of members registered here and take heart. It is rare that we don't return to report our success in recovery. Hang in; the wait is the hardest. Blessins...........
 
jklump,
Like you, I don't have any symptoms; which is why I was doubting myself. It appears that some people don't have symptoms while others do. Your experience (and those of others that replied to me) have really put my mind at ease. Thank You All.
 
enkaynj,
The insurance companies have guidelines to follow and will not pay until patients reach a certain plateau, so don't worry about having surgery too soon. If you wait long enough, you WILL have symptoms and possibly do permanent damage to your heart.

We learn from our mistakes and I must share one of mine with you. People on this site share their personal stories, both good and not-so-good. The months before my surgery I shared too much of my newly gained knowledge with my wife to the extent that I just about put her in the psych ward. At the pre surgery testing the nurse was more concerned about her than she was about me!
Its perfectly natural to be concerned about the surgery but was easy for me to forget that my loved ones and family were a big part of this well. Too much information is not always a good thing.
 
enkaynj said:
As my AVR OHS date gets closer, I have all kinds of questions swirling in my mind. One of them being, "Am I rushing into this and should I have waited". Can anyone share any numbers on what the success rate (or rather the morbidity rate) of AVR OHS procedures ? Even better, does anyone know of cases where the operation did not succeed and the patient passed away ? I know these are things I should not be thinking of and should always stay positive but it would be comforting if I knew for sure that the success rate of this procedure is pretty high.
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I don't know anything about success rates or the like. What I do know is that if your doctors feel it is time for your surgery, then do it. The only thing that waiting will do is make your heart work harder than it needs to and you damage the one muscle that you don't want to grow bigger. Take a deep deep breathe and trust in your surgeon/surgery team. They have done this lots and lots of times. And ultimately, put your trust in a higher power if you can. We will will be here to back you up with support and good vibes.
 
This is a pretty simple equation. You have what in the past would be a terminal disease. Today, not only can surgery save your life but you will most likely recover to live a very normal life doing pretty much anything you want to do. My surgeon said the reason so many valve replacements are done today is because there is such a tremendous benefit with astonishingly little risk while we are still healthy. The one thing you must consider is that as time passes your heart will be damaged by the stress it is under and the greater the damage caused by the bad valve the less likely you will make a full recovery. Doctors do not make these diagnoses frivolously. If your doctors believe that you should have surgery now, why would you want to risk waiting? As the others have said, get it done, work at your recovery and look forward to living your life.

Larry
 
97% is good!

97% is good!

And just think, those 3% who didn't make it -- probably had waited too long or had other complicating factors.

If you have a BAV with stenosis, you probably have a higher chance of mortality in the next few years if you do not have the surgery.
 
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drivetopless said:
And just think, those 3% who didn't make it -- probably had waited too long or had other complicating factors.

If you have a BAV with stenosis, you probably have a higher chance of mortality in the next few years if you do not have the surgery.
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This above post pretty much sums it up. Before I had my surgery, I asked what my chances of dying where, and was told, as I remember, about 5% to 7%....remember, that was in 1967. They also told me that without surgery I "almost certainly" would not see my 40th birthday AND I had a one in four (25%) risk of dropping dead without warning:frown2:. It didn't take me long to figure out that I liked the surgical success odds(93% to 95%) better:wink2:. I don't wish to minimize this, because this surgery is a big deal....but un-treated heart conditions seldom get better over time.....and this is one of the times when it helps to be pro-active:thumbup:.
 
97% is a number. I stressed to much. You have to think of it as just another surgery and get it fixed. The surgery was easier than I thought, I did not say goodbye to my family because failure was not and option!
I was 49 yo, my mom was 49 when she had a triple bypass back in 1976 and never made it off the table. However, I also have a bother that survived a triple bypass 8 years ago. And then their is my oldest brother that needed a new heart at 45, he waited to long and passed away suddenly at 45.

My advice is get it fixed, prepare for the worst but expect the best outcome because the success rate is really high.

I was in and out of the hospital in 4 days and am glad I did not wait. I was scared silly and knew I had no choice.
I wish you the best of luck and hope that everyone has a good day in the OR!
 
Something else to keep in mind. . . Even with all the "speed bumps" and complications I ran into after surgery, my electrophysiologist told me that I ". . . have the same life expectancy and should be looking forward to the same quality of life that I would have had if I had never even needed the surgery. That, to me, is a pretty strong reinforcement that I made the right choice to have surgery. It is about as close to a lifetime "do-over" as I will ever get.
 
enkaynj
I think everyone has summed it up for you pretty well:
1. Try not to worry so much
2. GET'ER done
3. Give back to this site what you have recieved. (I've tried to and enjoyed it, it makes you feel good!)

John
 
Amazing stats from everyone. Not nervous any more. And No. I have not told my family a whole lot of information that I glean from this community and I am thankful for that.
.
 
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