valve life

[Bina]

Jeff, I'm sure that you could request the echo. I made sure to ask for one when I went to my GP a couple of weeks ago.
You could also PM Lotti in the UK or start another thread with that question.

 

[kfay]

i think in the UK unless you have a problem they don't do a echo test . but i stand to be corrected on this though
regards jeff

Jeff, when I lived in the UK, I had not yet had my valve replaced, but they did an echo on me every year (or maybe it was every 6 months).

 

[jeff]

It could only be your doctor. I would encourage you to check into it. No offense, but the best defense is knowing sooner rather then later.

Ross i agree with you it is better knowing what is going on instead of waiting for it to happen , i will speak to my GP on my next visit , as a rule he
is very approachable over most things .
Kfay
if you hadn't had your valve replaced whilst living in the UK why did you have to go for the echo tests was there another problem they were keeping a eye on for you ?
thanks Bina i will start another thread asking the question on echo's
regards Jeff

Ps could the forum English teacher please check my post for me for the correct spelling and punctuation . thanks

 

[OldManEmu]

LynlW

That's interesting That is the opposite of how almost everyone I know does it. They all see the cardiologist yearly (ish) and just see the surgeon when it is time for surgery and maybe once after.

The surgeon visited me 2 days post surgery, his assistant visited the day after surgery, then I visited the surgeon 6 weeks post surgery. Since then I have seen him yearly after an echo. I have a CT every second year to measure the ascending Aorta as despite his inspection and surgical notes which I have a copy indicates looks good; it may have been effected by having endocarditis for 9 months before diagnosis.
If you look at my profile (available to members) you will see what diabolical condition I was in pre surgery.
My LV was 8CM pre surgery it is now 4.6 CM.
My heart function has returned to the normal range.
With this type of follow up and no other heart or health issues the cardio thinks it is not required to see me more often than every two years.
LynlW tissue valves are not very common in Australia in males under 65 years you have to fight for one. Given this the surgeon wouldn't be seeing a lot of patients like myself.
I still do not know how he finds time, when I had surgery in 2004 he was head surgeon at a public hospital 2 days a week, 1 day a week at a private hospital (the cash cow), associate professor of surgery at the state sandstone university (churned out at least one academic paper yearly on heart surgery) I googled this, and managed to see patients in his spare time!!!

Al very few heart surgeries are not done within that state that the patient resides in within Australia.
Given that only 40% of patients have private health insurance in Australia and this only covers hospital costs not travel, and public hospital are run by state governments very few people have surgery outside their state capital city.
Rural hospitals do not do heart surgery.

 

[Lynlw]

LynlW

The surgeon visited me 2 days post surgery, his assistant visited the day after surgery, then I visited the surgeon 6 weeks post surgery. Since then I have seen him yearly after an echo. I have a CT every second year to measure the ascending Aorta as despite his inspection and surgical notes which I have a copy indicates looks good; it may have been effected by having endocarditis for 9 months before diagnosis.
If you look at my profile (available to members) you will see what diabolical condition I was in pre surgery.
My LV was 8CM pre surgery it is now 4.6 CM.
My heart function is has returned to the normal range.
With this type of follow up and no other heart or health issues the cardio thinks it is not required to see me more often than very two years.
LynlW tissue valves are not very common in Australia in males under 65 years you have to fight for one. Given this the surgeon wouldn't be seeing a lot of patients like myself.
I still do not know how he finds time when I had surgery in 2004 he was head surgeon at a public hospital 2 days a week, 1 day a week at a private hospital (the cash cow), associate professor of surgery at the state sandstone university (churned at least one academic paper yearly on heart surgery) I googled this, and managed to see patients in his spare time!!!

Al very few heart surgeries are not done within that state that the patient resides in within Australia.
Given that only 40% of patients have private health insurance in Australia and this only covers hospital costs not travel, and public hospital are run by state governments very few people have surgery outside their state capital city.
Rural hospitals do not do heart surgery.

That's interesting. So does the surgeon also follow up all the patients that had bypass surgery? I'm glad your heart function improved so much.

 

[OldManEmu]

Follow Up

Follow Up

LynlW
To my knowledge my surgeon only follows CABG patients up for a couple of visits post surgery.
After this they are passed back to the care of a cardio.
However from my observations most CABG patients were 60+ years, and given that a CABG lasts for 20+ years most will not require further surgery they will have expired before the CABG expires.