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24 hours ago I thought I'd be in AVR surgery right now(8/24). Things changed while in my angiogram yesterday (8/23). Doc was just checking my coronary arteries when he noticed my pressure was much lower than the echo had shown 4 weeks ago. Technician asked Doc if it would be ok to go to the valve with the cath. They were pleasantly surprised to see that valve area was not as severe as the echo had shown. They checked 3 times and couldn't believe what they saw. Doc said to postpone surgery indefinitely, do a follow-up echo in a couple of months and then follow-up once per year. I should be good to go for anywhere from 1 to 10 years, same thing I was told 6 months ago after an echo. Has anyone else had this experience? Doc said that do not routinely use the angio to measure the valve. He said they will start now on patients like me, I am 44 years old and asymptomatic. I've known about a heart murmur all my life. 2-3 years ago I had my first echo and subsequnt echos every year. Valve has been getting worse but I was told in 11/04 that I had 5-10 years before surgery was needed. I had been getting my echos done at the local hospital. For my most recent echo in July 05 the cardio wanted me to use their people and equipment. This echo was way out of whack with the others but I thought and was told that my valve had deteriorated drasticily so I never even thought to question the results. Of course now I'm asking why I didn't ask for another echo or why the doc didn't want to do a redo when the results were so different.
I am perplexed as to how the most recent echo(7/28) could differ so much from the angio(8/23). Echo showed valve area of 0.9 cm, pressure @ 62mm Hg. Angio (8/23) showed valve area of 1.4 cm and pressure @ 34mm Hg. So I went from severe aortic stenosis to moderate. The numbers from the angiogram match closely my previous echo from 11/04.
I'm now confused more than ever and not sure what to believe. I don't trust my cardio or his echocardiogram tech or equipment. I was less than 24 away from having perhaps uneccesary OHS. Should the cardio have asked for another echo when the July 05 results showed such a dramatic change in only 6 months? Has anyone else had similar results from an angiogram?
I am perplexed as to how the most recent echo(7/28) could differ so much from the angio(8/23). Echo showed valve area of 0.9 cm, pressure @ 62mm Hg. Angio (8/23) showed valve area of 1.4 cm and pressure @ 34mm Hg. So I went from severe aortic stenosis to moderate. The numbers from the angiogram match closely my previous echo from 11/04.
I'm now confused more than ever and not sure what to believe. I don't trust my cardio or his echocardiogram tech or equipment. I was less than 24 away from having perhaps uneccesary OHS. Should the cardio have asked for another echo when the July 05 results showed such a dramatic change in only 6 months? Has anyone else had similar results from an angiogram?