Successful cath on Friday the 13th

[karlaosh]

I posted the thread about whether bicuspid aortic valve folks should avoid catheterization before surgery because of their potentially fragile aortic tissue.

Just wanted to report that I went ahead with my cath on Friday the 13th and that all went well. As many of you have said, it was really no big deal. I was given Versed and Fentanal, but not enough Versed that I don't remember what happened (generally and with fuzzy edges). I remember the warm sensation of the dye, mostly, and slept through much of the subsequent 3-hour recovery period.

My coronary arteries were whistle-clean and the imaging didn't turn up any other anomalies--at least none that my cardio told my husband about while I was sleeping after the test. They sent me home with a photocopy of the coronary artery imaging, and you can see my enlarged ascending aorta. Not sure if a measurement was taken of the ascending aorta; I'll find out at my follow-up visit next week.

I have a sore groin and a giant bruise where the cath entered, but other than that, no distressing after-effects from the cath. Just an excuse for hubby to wait on me...

So thanks to everyone who assured me that the cath was doable and useful. Indeed it was. Now just one more invasive procedure on my schedule...surgery on June 1.

 

[fyrfytr]

Hey Karla,
Glad to hear that everything went OK with your cath. Thanks for the update.
Take Care

 

[KristaDeAnn]

Karla,
You dont know how happy I was to read this post!! My Cath is scheduled for Friday the 20th. Just a few days away. I was a little apprehensive but now that you have enlightened me...Im going to just be brave and try not to stress too much about this.

Hope my results come out as good as yours. I have finished all (at least all I am aware of so far) of my pre-surgery poking and prodding. Now Im just hoping they dont find anything "new" in the results to surprise me with.

Got the chest x-ray EKG, and lab work completed. Cath next friday, the following Thursday I will go to my PATS appointment and meet my surgery team..(wonder if I should bake them some cookies.. ) and then just 6 days after that, I will be headed to the base of the "mountain" to begin my climb. I would REALLY like to use the same trail that Perkicar used, she had such a great hike so far!!

I will be thinking of you and comforted that a fellow VR.COM member is trudging up the hill right along with me. You will be in my prayers and definitely in my thoughts the morning of the June 1st.

My doctor gave me some Antivan (sp?) because I told him that I have been about as brave as I think I am capable of being up until this point but emotionally I think I have reached my limit. After finally breaking down for the first time last Wednesday I decided I shouldnt have to go through this anxiety if it is really not necessary. He really seemed MORE than hesitant to prescribe me something and told me that "Once you get to the hospital and they get your IV going they will give you something to relax"....(we were talking about surgery day)

I was looking at him like H E L L O...You do have to be able to get TO the hospital and IN the door BEFORE that can happen. He gave me a prescription for Ativan (sp?). He then warned me that it is HIGHLY addictive..so now Im almost scared to even take any of it...

I also asked him about the Coumadin and how long a person would have to be monitored by a clinic before they might be allowed to do their testing at home. I was devastated when he said "Uh.....we dont really like to have people doing their own testing at home and you would probably have to be be monitored by a clinic/dr. office for at least 3 years before we would even consider home testing." WHAT????? I was thinking he was going to say something like 6-8 months....But three years...that was a huge disappointment to say the least.

I guess I will just have to take everything as it comes, and deal with this one issue at a time or "go with the flow" as they say. Even if the flow is not going the way I would like it to go...

Take care
Krista

 

[T-Money]

Cath.

Cath.

Hi Karla.
I had surgery for bicuspid aortic valve and an aortic aneurism. My understanding was that it would be very difficult to do the surgery without the cath. results. They may have told me this becuase I was 32, but who knows. The best advice I can give is that after really reading through this site, you will be hard pressed to run into too many surprises. The folks on this site have been through it all. After educating myself on this site, the surgery and hospital experience was no big deal because I knew what to expect.

 

[KLB123]

WOW a 3 year wait? When I talked to the surgon the very first time before they even know if I will needto be on Coumadin he explained about home testing and that if he had to be on Comadin that is the way he would go. I can understand wanting to get a person leveled out first but 3 years is a long time.

Karla,
I also asked him about the Coumadin and how long a person would have to be monitored by a clinic before they might be allowed to do their testing at home. I was devastated when he said "Uh.....we dont really like to have people doing their own testing at home and you would probably have to be be monitored by a clinic/dr. office for at least 3 years before we would even consider home testing." WHAT????? I was thinking he was going to say something like 6-8 months....But three years...that was a huge disappointment to say the least.

 

[Jewel]

Cath for Bicuspid Aortic

Cath for Bicuspid Aortic

Thanks for posting! I am looking at my cath procedure at end of June - one more overall echo and a stress echo preceding..... and then AVR surgery in July. So far this is all they have seen - knock on wood! I do appreciate the information to at least ASK about this procedure with a bicuspid aortic valve - it sounds like I will be right behind you and Karla.... I appreciate the information on medicating before hand. I feel like medicating already - maybe more nervous about this dye in my system than the actual open heart procedure. It's weird.