surgery after valve replacement

[Arlene]

Has anyone had surgery after valve replacement? I am 2 years post heart surgery and doing fine. I am having a lot of trouble with varicose veins in one leg and am looking into having it stripped. My cardiologist says that I should go into the hospital a few days early and be put on heprin. My biggest concern is the possibility of a blood clot and even though my leg is hurting, it still is elective surgery. Any experiences or suggestions? Thanks for your help.

 

[Nancy]

You will have to go off Coumadin and go on Heparin a few days prior to surgery. My husband has had several surgeries after valve replacement. The lastest surgeries were the easiest because he could stay at home during the days on Heparin by having the Visiting Nurses come to the house and inject him twice a day with Lovenox which is the injectable form of Heparin.

Other than that you would be hooked up to IV Heparin in the hospital. Ask your doctor if this is an option for you. It's better than sitting around in the hospital.

 

[Marty]

Vein stripping?

Vein stripping?

Arlene, I too have bad varicose veins in my left leg. Neglected for years as I was too busy to do anything about them. After my MVR in 98 I asked my cardiologist what to do. He said stripping is rarely done anymore. Most treatment is "local"- injections,etc. So I went to see the chief of vascular surgery a man who loves to cut and he said no surgery indicated and prescribed Jobst
compression stockings. I have worn them faithfully now for two years and my leg feels great and the nasty skin changes I had are almost gone.Wearing these things can be a chore, particularly for old people, I was told but since I am only 75 I thought I'd give them a try and I'm glad I did.If you go this route Email me for some tips I have found that helps get them on and off.

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi arlene!
welcome to this wonderful site; everyone here is so helpful and supportive.
although i am not the patient here, my husband joey is, i was the one with horrible varicose veins. being the coward i am, i put off taking care of them for years. i consulted with numerous vascular surgeons and finally opted for the local injections_ and as marty mentioned_ the stockings. my dr used this method of injection and compression.
they do reoccur in other areas (when you're prone to them, once you eliminate one route of circulating, another new one usually establishes itself_ my new ones aren't half as bad as the original).
please check around for someone who might be able to do it this way. marty is right though, the stockings are a real pain_ not just for older folks! but, i found it to be worth it.
about doing this 2 yrs post surgery... ask the dr who will be doing it what he/ she thinks.
good luck. hope this helped and please keep us posted.
be well, sylvia

 

[Herb M]

I had a double hernia operation within a year of my valve replacement. I do not recall having heparin but did stop coumadin a few days before the operation.

Before you get into surgery for you varicose veins, follow the advise of MAXTR. My wife had the injection and it solved her problem, which was mostly cosmetic.

You may also want to look-up the benefit of taking horsechestnut. There is good evidence that it will help, especially with surgical stockings. I previously have had only mild discomfort and I think the horsechestnut has helped relieve almost all of the discomfort. Bilberry is also supposed to help relieve varicose veins. Since I take both horsechestnut and bilberry plus many other supplements and vitamins, it is hard to know which , if any, has helped.

 

[Arlene]

Thanks to all of you for the information regarding surgery after a valve replacement. I do appreciate the advice on compression stockings. I have been wearing them for the past 2 years and they do help, but I still have a lot of pain in one leg. I, too, should have been taking care of this earlier, but for the past decade, my heart problem has been taking most of my time. I have a job where I am on my feet most of the time and I know that I have to do something. Having an artificial valve certainly does make one stop and rethink things that before seemed so easy. Again, thank you for your help.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

I had a D&C about 2 years after valve surgery. As it was an emergency, I didn't go on Lovenox. They lowered my INR to 1.8 with Vitamin K injections, did the procedure, and put me back on Coumadin the next day. When I had a hysterectomy a few months later, I gave myself the Lovenox injections, and was able to start back on Coumadin the day after surgery. Also, when I woke up I had these things on my legs that automatically pumped up and released, kind of like an automatic blood pressure cuff. They made my legs look fat, but they were supposed to help with clotting. I'm sure one of the medical people here could tell you what they're called. Of course, if the surgery is on your leg, you might not be able to use them - maybe on one leg?