K
kia
My daughter will be undergoing tricuspid and mitral valve repair and/or replacment in the near future. We've just started researching it all and found this great site.
She is 34 now. At 33 she had an aortic dissection, type B descending. Two weeks later her coronary artery dissected and she had an MI. In the following OHS the dissected coronary artery was by-passed and the medical team at George Washington University Hospital saved her life.
The MI did a lot of damage. She went into CHF. Three months after the OHS she was implanted with a bi-ventricular defibrillator which really helped. 7 months after that tests showed that the tip of her heart is ischemic and that the tricuspid and mitral valves are leaking, one of them moderately to severe and the other severely. Only 1 valve had been leaking, moderately, 5 months before that.
One complicating factor is this one: her father's family has an unknown type of connective-tissue disorder that expresses itself in aortic dissections and aneurysms. My daughter's father passed away at 47 from a dissected aorta and a burst aortic aneurysm. His mother and HER brother died of the same thing at 67 and 53 years old, and their father at 55 from the same thing. At least 2 from each generation are currently being affected by this connective-tissue disorder.
The doctors classify her as "fragile", tissue-wise. When valve surgery came up last October the doctor said he did not yet know what type of valve he would use.
The other complication is that, while she is a young person, her now-damaged heart may not last her the rest of her natural life. She could be a cardiac replacement candidate in a few years, if the valve repair-replacement doesn't help. We won't know that for while.
What do you all think are the important qualifying attributes for the different types of valves, given my kidlet's situation? I know this is very generalized, but no fear! I'm just gathering knowledge!
Her next echo will be done in about 3 weeks and should give an indication of the time-frame we need to work within regarding the valve surgery.
Appreciate your feedback, Kia
She is 34 now. At 33 she had an aortic dissection, type B descending. Two weeks later her coronary artery dissected and she had an MI. In the following OHS the dissected coronary artery was by-passed and the medical team at George Washington University Hospital saved her life.
The MI did a lot of damage. She went into CHF. Three months after the OHS she was implanted with a bi-ventricular defibrillator which really helped. 7 months after that tests showed that the tip of her heart is ischemic and that the tricuspid and mitral valves are leaking, one of them moderately to severe and the other severely. Only 1 valve had been leaking, moderately, 5 months before that.
One complicating factor is this one: her father's family has an unknown type of connective-tissue disorder that expresses itself in aortic dissections and aneurysms. My daughter's father passed away at 47 from a dissected aorta and a burst aortic aneurysm. His mother and HER brother died of the same thing at 67 and 53 years old, and their father at 55 from the same thing. At least 2 from each generation are currently being affected by this connective-tissue disorder.
The doctors classify her as "fragile", tissue-wise. When valve surgery came up last October the doctor said he did not yet know what type of valve he would use.
The other complication is that, while she is a young person, her now-damaged heart may not last her the rest of her natural life. She could be a cardiac replacement candidate in a few years, if the valve repair-replacement doesn't help. We won't know that for while.
What do you all think are the important qualifying attributes for the different types of valves, given my kidlet's situation? I know this is very generalized, but no fear! I'm just gathering knowledge!
Her next echo will be done in about 3 weeks and should give an indication of the time-frame we need to work within regarding the valve surgery.
Appreciate your feedback, Kia
