Joan P.
Member
I want to thank everyone for their questions and for all the answers and advice. It has been interesting just reading of all the experiences you have had.
My husband, soon to be 75, and in good general health, is scheduled for aortic and mitral valve replacement on June 3. He had rheumatic fever as a child and has had a murmur since then. He also has atrial tachycardia that is controlled with medication. He has been on Warfarin for the last year, but did not want to stay on it. It has been a difficult decision regarding mechanical versus tissue valves. It took a visit to a third cardiac surgeon to gain consensus on tissue valves.
My husband is a retired engineer, therefore everything has to make sense and add up. Unfortunately, there is little information written that could give him the exact information he sought. We have read and printed innumerable abstracts from various associations. We have quite a collection now, but found that you just have keep asking questions. One surgeon said mechanical and the second surgeon said tissue. This presented a quandry for him. He kept reading and analyzing, but still could not make a decision. Several people urged him to get a third opinion, one of whom was his ENT. He made the appointment, got the concensus he had been searching for, liked this surgeon and we finally have a surgery date.
I urge those of you who are facing this surgery--read and study as much information as you can find. The internet is a wonderful thing for research. Don't hesitate to see as many surgeons as necessary until you get that "I am satisfied with the answers and feel comfortable with this surgeon" feeling. Our choice was made not only by his consensus opinion, but by his sense of humor. He asked me "is your husband an engineer?" We all had a good laugh. Then he said "I could really mess you up by saying I would put in one mechanical valve and one tissue valve". We knew this was our kind of surgeon.
I will let you know how my husband is doing, after June 3.
My husband, soon to be 75, and in good general health, is scheduled for aortic and mitral valve replacement on June 3. He had rheumatic fever as a child and has had a murmur since then. He also has atrial tachycardia that is controlled with medication. He has been on Warfarin for the last year, but did not want to stay on it. It has been a difficult decision regarding mechanical versus tissue valves. It took a visit to a third cardiac surgeon to gain consensus on tissue valves.
My husband is a retired engineer, therefore everything has to make sense and add up. Unfortunately, there is little information written that could give him the exact information he sought. We have read and printed innumerable abstracts from various associations. We have quite a collection now, but found that you just have keep asking questions. One surgeon said mechanical and the second surgeon said tissue. This presented a quandry for him. He kept reading and analyzing, but still could not make a decision. Several people urged him to get a third opinion, one of whom was his ENT. He made the appointment, got the concensus he had been searching for, liked this surgeon and we finally have a surgery date.
I urge those of you who are facing this surgery--read and study as much information as you can find. The internet is a wonderful thing for research. Don't hesitate to see as many surgeons as necessary until you get that "I am satisfied with the answers and feel comfortable with this surgeon" feeling. Our choice was made not only by his consensus opinion, but by his sense of humor. He asked me "is your husband an engineer?" We all had a good laugh. Then he said "I could really mess you up by saying I would put in one mechanical valve and one tissue valve". We knew this was our kind of surgeon.
I will let you know how my husband is doing, after June 3.
