I have found out after a multiple of test that I have a leaking Mitrial valve.I am 59 and a marathon runner,maybe I just ran too many marathons and wore my valve out!!! I will getting the cardio shock next week for fibralations and the surgery for the Valve..My surgery will be in Salem ,Or at the Salem Hospital. They are supposed to have some top cardio surgeons...just hanging in there until show time!! Any suggestions on the sugery??
Valve repair
- Thread starter lragsac
- Start date
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malibu82
Well-known member
can't help you on suggestions for surgery but i wish you luck!
Jkm7
Well-known member
My troublesome valve is also mitral and before my surgery, I discussed valve choices with my Mass General surgeon in the event he was not able to make a good repair. We agreed he would implant a tissue (bovine) valve in the event replacement was required. No surgeon really knows for sure until they open us up if they can make a good repair.
I suggest you make a Plan B just in case. You would not want to wake up to learn your surgeon chose which valve to implant without discussion with you about tissue vs. mechanical and which you want.
Happy you found us but sorry for the reason and wishing you the very best. You CAN do this. It is frightening but most of us find the wait is worse than the surgery.
I suggest you make a Plan B just in case. You would not want to wake up to learn your surgeon chose which valve to implant without discussion with you about tissue vs. mechanical and which you want.
Happy you found us but sorry for the reason and wishing you the very best. You CAN do this. It is frightening but most of us find the wait is worse than the surgery.
My suggestion would be to find a surgeon/hospital that has a very high success rate at REPAIRING the valve. Even if it means traveling, i think the benefits would be well worth it.
RonP
Member
I concur with what others have said...look for a surgeon/hospital with the best repair rate. Don't just stay close to home because it's convenient. Travel if you have to - it's your health! Dr. Siwek at Spokane's Sacred Heart did my mitral valve repair last September. He's a premier DaVinci robotics surgeon and has a 99% repair rate. I knew I had the right doc at my initial consult with him. We spent 30 seconds, tops, discussing replacement valve options because he "knew" that he could make a successful repair. But, I almost blew his stats. I was in surgery for 6.5 hours and on bypass for 4 hours because the repair was so difficult. He actually made the repair, closed me up, tested it, didn't like the fix, and went back in to reduce the ring size and add additional cords. I believe there are few surgeons who would have done that or even made the initial attempt. I feel that if anyone else had done the surgery, I'd be walking around with a mechanical valve. Everyone is different and everyone needs to make their own decision, but I'm very glad how my surgery turned out.
Ron
Ron
Philip B
Well-known member
Wore It Out?
Wore It Out?
Wore it out...I doubt it. It's probably just time to get it fixed and work your way back into running marathons. As others have noted, get a surgeon you have confidence in. If it's any consolation, the outcomes for people who are in decent physical shape when they have valve replacement surgery tend to be positive.
-Philip
Wore It Out?
Wore it out...I doubt it. It's probably just time to get it fixed and work your way back into running marathons. As others have noted, get a surgeon you have confidence in. If it's any consolation, the outcomes for people who are in decent physical shape when they have valve replacement surgery tend to be positive.
-Philip
I will concur with what others have said: Find a surgeon who is very experienced in MV repairs and also have a Plan B -- just in case.
My husband was very fortunate to live near Dr. William Ryan, a Dallas surgeon who is an excellent Ross (AV) and MV repair surgeon. All he needed was work on 2 chordae, which had been damaged during a head-on car accident 18 months previously. Plan B was a mechanical valve.
Dr. Ryan has done repairs and Rosses on several others here at vr.org. That's how we found him. If I ever have to have another VR and Dr. Ryan is still practicing, he's my choice -- in a heartbeat.
) KNOCK ON WOOD!
My husband was very fortunate to live near Dr. William Ryan, a Dallas surgeon who is an excellent Ross (AV) and MV repair surgeon. All he needed was work on 2 chordae, which had been damaged during a head-on car accident 18 months previously. Plan B was a mechanical valve.
Dr. Ryan has done repairs and Rosses on several others here at vr.org. That's how we found him. If I ever have to have another VR and Dr. Ryan is still practicing, he's my choice -- in a heartbeat.
) KNOCK ON WOOD!
