L
lemdonuts
I need to have my arotic valve replace ASAP. Don't really want a six inch cut rather have the mininal invasion cut i.e. 2 to 3 inches long. Has anyone had it done?
Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:
Nancy
Well-known member
Hi-
Welcome fellow New Yorker! This is a wonderful site. You'll love the information and support you'll find here.
There are a few people here who have had a minimal incision. It all depends on what has to be done inside there, and not every surgeon likes to do it that way. There is also the minimal surgery through the side, but there again, it depends on the same two things. You will no doubt be discussing it with your surgeon. Perhaps some folks here can recommend one, if you don't already have one.
One of my husband's surgery was through the side using the Heart Port method. It was a mitral repair and worked out just fine for that. Not sure if it would work for AVR. It was done by Dr. DePan, at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, New York.
Hope you will come to this site often as you approach your surgery.
Welcome fellow New Yorker! This is a wonderful site. You'll love the information and support you'll find here.
There are a few people here who have had a minimal incision. It all depends on what has to be done inside there, and not every surgeon likes to do it that way. There is also the minimal surgery through the side, but there again, it depends on the same two things. You will no doubt be discussing it with your surgeon. Perhaps some folks here can recommend one, if you don't already have one.
One of my husband's surgery was through the side using the Heart Port method. It was a mitral repair and worked out just fine for that. Not sure if it would work for AVR. It was done by Dr. DePan, at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, New York.
Hope you will come to this site often as you approach your surgery.
L
lemdonuts
Incinsion type
Incinsion type
Thanks Nancy for your reply. I was told 4/10 that I needed my aortic valve replaced ASAP like NOW! I won't be alive next year this time and maybe not by fall.
I found out about AS in Jan 2001. since which time I have been following the Am heart diet -- lost close to 70 lbs and have swam 300 miles! I have also been reading everything I could get my hands on. I knew about the side cut BUT what you read about I have found that is NOT what your get!! You must find the surgeon who will do it -- and the old timers says the larger cut is best for who???!?!?!?
I knew I was going down hill but thought i still had at least a year. My valve is less than 1 cm but I show no extradinary symptoms however the surgeon who I met for the first time 4/10 was pushing me for surgery -- like this past week 4/20 -- hey I had/have a lot of loose ends to finish up. My cardiologist says I am in great shape BUT in order to have this surgery you must be physcialyand mentally ready which I was not (mentally) and still am not really. It came too fast too soon!
I have had three opinions -- two last week (I am trying to move this along) -- now one from Univ of Pennsylvania -- doctor is in his 30's and he will do mininal cut 2 to 3 inches -- one at Hershey MedicaL and another at WestChester medical both are in their early fifties they want to do standard procdure i.e. 6 in cut they say too many problems i.e. complications with small cut.
So do i go with the tried and trusted or do I go with the new!!?!?!?!??!
Frankly I am scared!
Incinsion type
Thanks Nancy for your reply. I was told 4/10 that I needed my aortic valve replaced ASAP like NOW! I won't be alive next year this time and maybe not by fall.
I found out about AS in Jan 2001. since which time I have been following the Am heart diet -- lost close to 70 lbs and have swam 300 miles! I have also been reading everything I could get my hands on. I knew about the side cut BUT what you read about I have found that is NOT what your get!! You must find the surgeon who will do it -- and the old timers says the larger cut is best for who???!?!?!?
I knew I was going down hill but thought i still had at least a year. My valve is less than 1 cm but I show no extradinary symptoms however the surgeon who I met for the first time 4/10 was pushing me for surgery -- like this past week 4/20 -- hey I had/have a lot of loose ends to finish up. My cardiologist says I am in great shape BUT in order to have this surgery you must be physcialyand mentally ready which I was not (mentally) and still am not really. It came too fast too soon!
I have had three opinions -- two last week (I am trying to move this along) -- now one from Univ of Pennsylvania -- doctor is in his 30's and he will do mininal cut 2 to 3 inches -- one at Hershey MedicaL and another at WestChester medical both are in their early fifties they want to do standard procdure i.e. 6 in cut they say too many problems i.e. complications with small cut.
So do i go with the tried and trusted or do I go with the new!!?!?!?!??!
Frankly I am scared!
B
Bill Hall
Lem - I had my aortic valve replaced (homograft) and mitral valve repaired two years ago. I went to a big hospital in Cleveland and found a good surgeon. I ended up with a 3 inch scar and no problems. The surgery incision pain was one my most minor problems just after surgery and I hardly think about it anymore.
L
lemdonuts
They don't do Robotics or side cuts for aortic valves yet
L
lemdonuts
lemdonuts said:
Nancy
Well-known member
Hi lemdonuts_
You've got plenty of company when you say you're scared. Just about everyone on this board who has had surgery has been scared. It's the most normal thing in the world.
There are also quite a few folks who didn't have much in the way of symptoms, and were, like you, blind-sided, when they were told they needed heart valve surgery.
The heart can compensate for aortic valve inadequacies for a long time, and gradually the heart starts to enlarge to try to pump out the blood more efficiently. But at a certain point, the heart can no longer keep up the pace and that's when things can happen very quickly. I think we have all agreed that it is the very best thing for your future health to get the surgery done sooner rather than later, because if it goes on too long, there are irreversible changes to the heart, and you will want to avoid that.
The surgery is done to save your life, years ago, when this wasn't available, people died. That's not the case any longer. The surgery is highly perfected now, and the mortality rate is very low, somewhere between 1 and 2 percent.
You will only be in the hospital between 5 and 7 days, and some have come home even sooner. That's a small chunk out of your life, to get rid of your heart problems.
The surgeons who do this are highly skilled, They are in and out of people's hearts every day and sometimes more than once. Everything going on in your heart, they have seen and know how to fix. They have the very best surgical teams and anesthesiologists to work on you.
After surgery, you will be taken care of by the best nurses in the hospital, in the ICU. It's a one to one ratio. There will be all kinds of very high-tech machinery hooked up to you to keep your first days safe.
The pain is very well controlled. They want you to be close to pain-free, because you will be doing lots of deep breathing to keep your lungs in good condition, and amazingly, you will be up and walking by around day 2.
Once you leave the ICU, you will go to a step-down unit where you will be walking more and more. The nursing care in the step-down unit is every bit as good as the ICU.
Even though you are not very symptomatic, after a couple of months, you will see how good you are feeling. It is then that you will realize how tired you had become with a heart that is not working up to speed.
You are young and strong. You will do just fine.
We have over 700 members here. That's a lot of heart surgeries. Others will be along soon to give you there experiences. We're all behind you as you approach your surgery date.
Wishing you all the best.
You've got plenty of company when you say you're scared. Just about everyone on this board who has had surgery has been scared. It's the most normal thing in the world.
There are also quite a few folks who didn't have much in the way of symptoms, and were, like you, blind-sided, when they were told they needed heart valve surgery.
The heart can compensate for aortic valve inadequacies for a long time, and gradually the heart starts to enlarge to try to pump out the blood more efficiently. But at a certain point, the heart can no longer keep up the pace and that's when things can happen very quickly. I think we have all agreed that it is the very best thing for your future health to get the surgery done sooner rather than later, because if it goes on too long, there are irreversible changes to the heart, and you will want to avoid that.
The surgery is done to save your life, years ago, when this wasn't available, people died. That's not the case any longer. The surgery is highly perfected now, and the mortality rate is very low, somewhere between 1 and 2 percent.
You will only be in the hospital between 5 and 7 days, and some have come home even sooner. That's a small chunk out of your life, to get rid of your heart problems.
The surgeons who do this are highly skilled, They are in and out of people's hearts every day and sometimes more than once. Everything going on in your heart, they have seen and know how to fix. They have the very best surgical teams and anesthesiologists to work on you.
After surgery, you will be taken care of by the best nurses in the hospital, in the ICU. It's a one to one ratio. There will be all kinds of very high-tech machinery hooked up to you to keep your first days safe.
The pain is very well controlled. They want you to be close to pain-free, because you will be doing lots of deep breathing to keep your lungs in good condition, and amazingly, you will be up and walking by around day 2.
Once you leave the ICU, you will go to a step-down unit where you will be walking more and more. The nursing care in the step-down unit is every bit as good as the ICU.
Even though you are not very symptomatic, after a couple of months, you will see how good you are feeling. It is then that you will realize how tired you had become with a heart that is not working up to speed.
You are young and strong. You will do just fine.
We have over 700 members here. That's a lot of heart surgeries. Others will be along soon to give you there experiences. We're all behind you as you approach your surgery date.
Wishing you all the best.
Nancy
Well-known member
I forgot to tell you that it has helped many, many people prepare themselves for this surgery to read as many of the posts as they can. It is especially inspirational to read the Personal Stories section. You can get there by clicking on the big yellow valvereplacement.com at the top of the page. That will bring you to the Main Page, at the top there is a section for Personal Stories.
It might make you very nervous at first to read about the surgery, but as you read more and more, you will find that your fears will start to diminish. Remember knowledge is power, The Pre-Surgery section and the Post-Surgery section are very helpful.
Above all, we are here to help you and everyone is wonderful about trying to answer your questions, no matter how small, or even if you just want to vent.
My husband is the patient here. He has had 3 valve surgeries, 2 lung surgeries, and has a pacemaker. In addition to all that he has had a whole truckload of other very serious medical problems.
He's 71 years old now and his aortic valve is 25 years old.
The weekends here are a little slow, but others will come along soon.
Take care.
It might make you very nervous at first to read about the surgery, but as you read more and more, you will find that your fears will start to diminish. Remember knowledge is power, The Pre-Surgery section and the Post-Surgery section are very helpful.
Above all, we are here to help you and everyone is wonderful about trying to answer your questions, no matter how small, or even if you just want to vent.
My husband is the patient here. He has had 3 valve surgeries, 2 lung surgeries, and has a pacemaker. In addition to all that he has had a whole truckload of other very serious medical problems.
He's 71 years old now and his aortic valve is 25 years old.
The weekends here are a little slow, but others will come along soon.
Take care.
L
lemdonuts
Thanks! Did your husband have a mechanical aortic valve or tissue.
Nancy
Well-known member
He has a mechanical aortic valve and a mechanical mitral valve. Then had a small leak in the mitral that was repaired.
He's been on Coumadin for 25 years, no problem for him.
He's been on Coumadin for 25 years, no problem for him.
L
lemdonuts
I thought he might have had a mechanical valve. I personnaly don't want one -- the ticking and having to take a blood thinner would drive me carzy! Different strokes for different folks.
My biggest concern right now Is the incision. Two doctors tell me that the tried and proven is the way to go -- less complications. Yet I want the smaller one hoping that recovery would be faster sooo -- I know it is a personal -- Hey do they have a spell check?
I am so active and independent that it is starting to sink in I won't be able to do things for a while...not sure how I will handle that!
I looked into this site about a 1.5 ago at that time you couldn't post questions am soooooo glad you can now. My family is trying to be understanding but.....
Anyway Nancy thank you for your imput.
My biggest concern right now Is the incision. Two doctors tell me that the tried and proven is the way to go -- less complications. Yet I want the smaller one hoping that recovery would be faster sooo -- I know it is a personal -- Hey do they have a spell check?
I am so active and independent that it is starting to sink in I won't be able to do things for a while...not sure how I will handle that!
I looked into this site about a 1.5 ago at that time you couldn't post questions am soooooo glad you can now. My family is trying to be understanding but.....
Anyway Nancy thank you for your imput.
Ross
Well-known member
You can ask for biological valves, but that doesn't necessarily mean that is what you'll get. It depends on your anatomy and what will or won't work once the surgeon is in there.
I wish I had a nice tiny scar. Mine is from my throat to just above the belly button. I look more like a gutted fish.
I wish I had a nice tiny scar. Mine is from my throat to just above the belly button.
I look more like a gutted fish.
L
lemdonuts
Yes you can get a biological value IF your doctor will do it. I have been reasearching and reading everything i could get my hands on for the past 2 years and for naught!!!!
The HMC surgeon stated point blank that the biological ones are harder to replace!!! Soooo i took his word.
He also stated that small incision has far more complications but after reading the post op segment I am really leading toword a small incision!!!
I am trying to get information ASAP about the complications that people have experience with the small incsion as they want to perform the surgery ASAP.
Thanks for your imput Ross. Oh by the way I went to the Cleveland Hospital on line site and the want $585 for an electronic second opinion!
The HMC surgeon stated point blank that the biological ones are harder to replace!!! Soooo i took his word.
He also stated that small incision has far more complications but after reading the post op segment I am really leading toword a small incision!!!
I am trying to get information ASAP about the complications that people have experience with the small incsion as they want to perform the surgery ASAP.
Thanks for your imput Ross. Oh by the way I went to the Cleveland Hospital on line site and the want $585 for an electronic second opinion!
Marty
Well-known member
Open heart incision.
Open heart incision.
Lem, When I asked my cardio about all the little incisions that try to avoid splitting your sternum He said when he personally comes up for valve surgery he wants the surgeon to have wide exposure and be comfortable. The midline incision sounds worse than it is. I had only minor discomfort which was gone after 2 weeks. Now if the incision becomes infected or extrudes wires that may be another matter but it only happens in a minority of patients. Now having said this "Duchess Bear" who contributes to this forum had a small side incision at our hospital and all went well. Her surgeon apparently had no problem and she is happy .
Open heart incision.
Lem, When I asked my cardio about all the little incisions that try to avoid splitting your sternum He said when he personally comes up for valve surgery he wants the surgeon to have wide exposure and be comfortable. The midline incision sounds worse than it is. I had only minor discomfort which was gone after 2 weeks. Now if the incision becomes infected or extrudes wires that may be another matter but it only happens in a minority of patients. Now having said this "Duchess Bear" who contributes to this forum had a small side incision at our hospital and all went well. Her surgeon apparently had no problem and she is happy .
L
lemdonuts
Thanks for you imput i am going crazy!! My surgeon at HMC says same thine However this is now 2003 -- so am trying to do right thing -- it is crazy to go to one hospital for cath and another for surgery! I have some neighbors coming over today to talk with me!!! On top of it all there is suppose to be a doctor's strike in Pa next week!!!
I've emailed both surgeons and asked specfied questions see who returns email --- i like someone to be patient and understanding -- after reading some of the post op here I am defentily leaning towards small incision for recuperation and want to know if in deed that is the way to go!!
Hard hard decesions to make -- I reaLLy was led to beleive I would have time and now time has run out!!! Hey it could be worst I could be in losy shape!!!
I've emailed both surgeons and asked specfied questions see who returns email --- i like someone to be patient and understanding -- after reading some of the post op here I am defentily leaning towards small incision for recuperation and want to know if in deed that is the way to go!!
Hard hard decesions to make -- I reaLLy was led to beleive I would have time and now time has run out!!! Hey it could be worst I could be in losy shape!!!
L
lemdonuts
Marty what about your recup time??? i am usually so active that to be down and hurting for a long time doesn't turn me on -- frankly it just dawned on me Friday that I would have problems! lol I was too involved thinking about a small incision for cosmatic reason now it is for recovery!
Nancy
Well-known member
I think that no matter which incision you get, there is going to be considerable recovery time, several weeks. Don't forget that the bulk of the work goes on in your heart and that will need healing time. While a smaller sternal incision will help possibly with some of the sternum issues, there is still the inside healing time. Your new valve will need time to heal to your heart, and you will be sore and very fatigued for several weeks. It is major, major surgery, and a major trauma for your body, no matter what type valve or incision you get. Even the side incision my husband had, had it's own healing issues and took a long time, even though there was no bone healing.
Tissue healing can be just as traumatic. Your heart will also be going through some changes physically and electrically, and the anesthesia and drugs for pain take a long time to leave your system. You may also be on some heart type medications just after surgery to help your heart.
You will have some limitations just after surgery, such as being able to lift. There are stringent restrictions on lifting for a while, and you will not be able to drive until you get the permission of the surgeon. You will need someone to be with you for the first week at home, and possibly the second.
I don't want to cause you anxiety, but it's better to know what the real situation will be, in order to prepare for it.
There are, of course, individual differences with all of this, but basically that's what happens.
Please read the posts in Pre-Surgery. There are many questions there about all kinds of pre-surgery preparations. They will help loads.
Tissue healing can be just as traumatic. Your heart will also be going through some changes physically and electrically, and the anesthesia and drugs for pain take a long time to leave your system. You may also be on some heart type medications just after surgery to help your heart.
You will have some limitations just after surgery, such as being able to lift. There are stringent restrictions on lifting for a while, and you will not be able to drive until you get the permission of the surgeon. You will need someone to be with you for the first week at home, and possibly the second.
I don't want to cause you anxiety, but it's better to know what the real situation will be, in order to prepare for it.
There are, of course, individual differences with all of this, but basically that's what happens.
Please read the posts in Pre-Surgery. There are many questions there about all kinds of pre-surgery preparations. They will help loads.
G
Georgia
Relaxing is good . . .
Relaxing is good . . .
Hi, Lem! One of the things we all had to learn was to leave the things we couldn't control in the hands of those who could. These heart surgeons are masters at what they do; they perform hundreds of these surgeries and know what's best for each individual patients.
You need to decide on a surgeon and trust HIS/HER judgment as to the mechanics of your surgery. Certainly you'll discuss the type of valve you want, but it's possible that when the doc's in there that valve will not be the best choice for you.
There are other things that are REALLY valuable for you to do in preparation for your surgery - update your will, durable power of attorney, living will, life insurance, etc.; be sure you have everything you need to recover comfortably and safely; enjoy some of your time pre-surgery - go out to eat, drink, movies, etc.
After surgery it'll be a while before you want to do those again.
Try not to obsess on the surgery; relaxation techniques helped many of us, as did tranquillizers if needed.
No one here chose or deserved to have valve problems. We've all been alternately mad and scared and worried sick about this surgery. And we've all received a good deal of comfort and support and education from the folks who are on this site. Please take the time to read other posts - you'll find such good advice.
Good luck.
Relaxing is good . . .
Hi, Lem! One of the things we all had to learn was to leave the things we couldn't control in the hands of those who could. These heart surgeons are masters at what they do; they perform hundreds of these surgeries and know what's best for each individual patients.
You need to decide on a surgeon and trust HIS/HER judgment as to the mechanics of your surgery. Certainly you'll discuss the type of valve you want, but it's possible that when the doc's in there that valve will not be the best choice for you.
There are other things that are REALLY valuable for you to do in preparation for your surgery - update your will, durable power of attorney, living will, life insurance, etc.; be sure you have everything you need to recover comfortably and safely; enjoy some of your time pre-surgery - go out to eat, drink, movies, etc.
After surgery it'll be a while before you want to do those again.
Try not to obsess on the surgery; relaxation techniques helped many of us, as did tranquillizers if needed.
No one here chose or deserved to have valve problems. We've all been alternately mad and scared and worried sick about this surgery. And we've all received a good deal of comfort and support and education from the folks who are on this site. Please take the time to read other posts - you'll find such good advice.
Good luck.
M
medtronic of borg
its like this... if something need to be repaired on your cars engine, you can open the hood a few inches and hope your mechanic gets it right or let him open the hood completely and really be able to see what is going on. Also it is how they close you that will determine how noticable your scar will be. If they glue it you will have almost none. If they stich it well. I prefer to let my doc. see every little thing he needs to. My avr scar is about ten inches long and hardly noticeable. And my thorocotomy is well about 13'' and very very big.
Nancy
Well-known member
I agree, Med. Joe's scars are all over his chest from all the surgeries, but they have faded with time, and can hardly be seen.
Beside they are the marks of a HERO! Right?
Beside they are the marks of a HERO! Right?
