K
Karlynn
You'll be in my prayers Mike. It would be really nice to have your fiance post for you - we tend to hold our breaths until we know all went well.
Valve Choice for "Younguns"
- Thread starter MikeHeim
- Start date
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Leo, I was wonderring
Leo, I was wonderring
was very disappointed with the tissue valve. There seems to be a lot of variance on the amount of time a tissue valve lasts, and mine only lasted 8 years
I was wonderring if the valve gave out or was it a more of a matter that you outgrew the tissue valve? I know many(most?) of the times when the kids need new valves or conduits, it is because they outgrew them and not any problem w/ the valve or conduit itself, expect they don't grow.
Justin is 17 and just got his conduit replced and got a pulm valve for the first time. the past 5 years they were buying time, w/ balloon caths and stents, so he could get as big as possible before he conduit was replaced and he got a valve, so he wouldn't out grow it. That's one of the reason I am so hopeful for the research at Boston where they are growing valves and conduits out of the kids own cells, that way it should grow with them and they won't need to have them replaced thru out their lives. Lyn www.caringbridge.org/nj/justinw
Leo, I was wonderring
was very disappointed with the tissue valve. There seems to be a lot of variance on the amount of time a tissue valve lasts, and mine only lasted 8 years
I was wonderring if the valve gave out or was it a more of a matter that you outgrew the tissue valve? I know many(most?) of the times when the kids need new valves or conduits, it is because they outgrew them and not any problem w/ the valve or conduit itself, expect they don't grow.
Justin is 17 and just got his conduit replced and got a pulm valve for the first time. the past 5 years they were buying time, w/ balloon caths and stents, so he could get as big as possible before he conduit was replaced and he got a valve, so he wouldn't out grow it. That's one of the reason I am so hopeful for the research at Boston where they are growing valves and conduits out of the kids own cells, that way it should grow with them and they won't need to have them replaced thru out their lives. Lyn www.caringbridge.org/nj/justinw
MikeHeim
Well-known member
Mike's Repair
Mike's Repair
Hello all,
Mike would like to thank you all for the kind thoughts and words. He would also like you all to know that they were able to repair his valve and is doing well. He will be sure to write more when he returns home, right now they are looking at Tue. or Wed.
Michele (Mike's fiance)
Mike's Repair
Hello all,
Mike would like to thank you all for the kind thoughts and words. He would also like you all to know that they were able to repair his valve and is doing well. He will be sure to write more when he returns home, right now they are looking at Tue. or Wed.
Michele (Mike's fiance)
P
PapaHappyStar
Michele,
Glad to hear Mike got a successful repair, best wishes for a quick recovery.
Regards,
Burair
Glad to hear Mike got a successful repair, best wishes for a quick recovery.
Regards,
Burair
K
Karlynn
Great news! Please give him our very best wishes.
M
Mary
Great News! I'm glad they were able to perform the repair. I hope his recovery is smooth and uncomplicated.
G
geebee
Thanks for sharing this happy news. Please give Mike our best.
aussigal
Well-known member
great news for you Mike....whoohoo!..they were able to repair your own valve.wishing you a speedy recovery...
MikeHeim
Well-known member
Home again!
Home again!
As my fiance was nice enough to post for me, my mitral valve was successfully repaired on Friday (12/8). My heart was also somewhat enlarged, so they trimmed away some of the extra tissue, so it should function completely normally going forward. My vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, etc.) stabilized almost immediately, so they actually sent me home on MONDAY! That seemed really quick, but it's nice to be back in a familiar place. After having gone through with it, I would probably pick a mechanical valve if I ever have to make the choice in the future. As stupid as it sounds, for some reason I thought OHS "wouldn't be so bad". The surgery wasn't so bad, but getting all the tubes ripped out afterwards is not something I ever want to have to repeat again. Now that I'm home, I'm actually having some trouble keeping my temperature down I and I am occasionally getting some palpitations. I haven't read the post-op discussions yet, but I think that will be my next stop. Thanks!
Home again!
As my fiance was nice enough to post for me, my mitral valve was successfully repaired on Friday (12/8). My heart was also somewhat enlarged, so they trimmed away some of the extra tissue, so it should function completely normally going forward. My vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, etc.) stabilized almost immediately, so they actually sent me home on MONDAY! That seemed really quick, but it's nice to be back in a familiar place. After having gone through with it, I would probably pick a mechanical valve if I ever have to make the choice in the future. As stupid as it sounds, for some reason I thought OHS "wouldn't be so bad". The surgery wasn't so bad, but getting all the tubes ripped out afterwards is not something I ever want to have to repeat again. Now that I'm home, I'm actually having some trouble keeping my temperature down I and I am occasionally getting some palpitations. I haven't read the post-op discussions yet, but I think that will be my next stop. Thanks!
K
Karlynn
Mike, glad they sprung you so soon.
Your heart didn't like being messed with, even if it was for it's own good. So occasional palpitations are common. If they become sustained or you have some strange ones that make you light-headed or dizzy you need to call your doctor.
Your heart didn't like being messed with, even if it was for it's own good. So occasional palpitations are common. If they become sustained or you have some strange ones that make you light-headed or dizzy you need to call your doctor.
Mike:
Congratulations on the repair job!
Just take it very easy; after all, you did just have major surgery.
Congratulations on the repair job!
Just take it very easy; after all, you did just have major surgery.
L
LeoSmith
Replacement of Tissue Valve - Reply to Lyn
Replacement of Tissue Valve - Reply to Lyn
Hi Lyn,
That's a good question, which is somewhat complicated. In my case, one of the leaflets started to tear, and my energy level fell to zero. This was hinted at during an ultrasound, which led to my first transespohageal echo (a miserable experience). This highlighted the torn leaflet and led to my surgery some 10-14 days later. The complication was that when they went to put in the mechanical valve, the opening was smaller than expected, and they had to put in a smaller valve then would have been ideal. This has left me with some additional insufficiency. I don't know if the presence of a tissue valve or any non-personal valve led to this smaller opening, but it is curious. I don't know if this is common, chance, or what. I guess it is irrelevant to me, but it would be potentially relevant to others.
Cheers,
Leo
Replacement of Tissue Valve - Reply to Lyn
Hi Lyn,
That's a good question, which is somewhat complicated. In my case, one of the leaflets started to tear, and my energy level fell to zero. This was hinted at during an ultrasound, which led to my first transespohageal echo (a miserable experience). This highlighted the torn leaflet and led to my surgery some 10-14 days later. The complication was that when they went to put in the mechanical valve, the opening was smaller than expected, and they had to put in a smaller valve then would have been ideal. This has left me with some additional insufficiency. I don't know if the presence of a tissue valve or any non-personal valve led to this smaller opening, but it is curious. I don't know if this is common, chance, or what. I guess it is irrelevant to me, but it would be potentially relevant to others.
Cheers,
Leo
Lynlw said:
