Valves great.....new aneurysm !!!!!

[PJmomrunner]

I was distressed to read about your new aneurysm, Ben, and I admire the calm with which you appear to be handling the news. You have been in my thoughts since Thanksgiving day when I checked in momentarily...and kinda wished I hadn't .

Regarding timing of surgery relative to one's size, I wanted to mention that the 2006 Guidelines for the Treatment of Valvular Heart Disease state that some say 5cm is the time and some say to operate at 2.5cm/square meter of body surface area. The guidelines do not seem to show a preference for one criteria over the other.

At your stated size (6'6", 275 lbs.) your BSA is 2.62 square meters which puts your operation point at 6.55cm. Quite a long way to go really. I do, however, question whether one ought to use one's leanest body weight when making the calculation. For instance, when I was initially diagnosed I weighed less than I do now ('cause "they" made me stop running) and consequently my BSA has increased, thus increasing the size at which my aneurysm (by that method) should be replaced. It seems counter-intuitive that the same cardiovascular system that served my leaner body would be somehow more worthy to continue doing so because I am in worse physical shape. So...even if you were "the standard stick pole" at...say...200 pounds, your BSA would be 2.23 and your aneurysm would be "safe" until 5.575cm. Still a ways off.

I'm rooting for stability with crossed fingers and toes.

 

[Turkey Hunter]

Count on it . Perhaps, depending on schedules/timeframes, we can plan to meet up for lunch or dinner ... along with John and Joann and whoever else wants to join us.....


Thoughts/prayers continuing for you, of course.

Thanks for the prayers.

Just want to add my best wishes, Ben. I am glad that you have some time to research this thoroughly and know that you and whatever surgeon you choose will come to the right decisions. Best wishes to you and your family and Godspeed!

Thank you for the kind words.

I too wanted to add my best wishes as you go through this discovery process. Many decisions for you to make. Funny to be considered an "old timer" though, isn't it? I recall when my husband had his first surgery. His height at 6'4" +- and weighing in at 190 caused the surgeon pause. Felt that the heart pump had to work harder to move the blood that distance....interesting comment.


Again, best wishes for a good outcome.

Marybeth

I guess it is time for me to come to terms with being an old timer; it seems to fit. lol

I was distressed to read about your new aneurysm, Ben, and I admire the calm with which you appear to be handling the news. You have been in my thoughts since Thanksgiving day when I checked in momentarily...and kinda wished I hadn't .

Calm......that is something that can very easily be 'dishonest'. I am by no means freaking out at this point, yet I am still not the calm my words seem to read as I re-read some of my posts.
Honestly, the largest emotion I feel at this juncture is anger. At whom or what, I don't know. Just angry to have to look at the idea of OHS again. I would probably be taking it better if there were an issue with the valves, but to have great valves and a 33 year old man looking at his second OHS, just p***es me off. I know there are folks with much larger problems than I have, & I know being angry makes me a bit self centered and selfish....but that doesn't change the way I feel.
You know, I don't think I am over the emotional issues of the first OHS yet; and I am looking at another one.
Well lets keep the fingures crossed for the stabilization of the 'sob' inside me.

Regarding timing of surgery relative to one's size, I wanted to mention that the 2006 Guidelines for the Treatment of Valvular Heart Disease state that some say 5cm is the time and some say to operate at 2.5cm/square meter of body surface area. The guidelines do not seem to show a preference for one criteria over the other.

At your stated size (6'6", 275 lbs.) your BSA is 2.62 square meters which puts your operation point at 6.55cm. Quite a long way to go really. I do, however, question whether one ought to use one's leanest body weight when making the calculation. For instance, when I was initially diagnosed I weighed less than I do now ('cause "they" made me stop running) and consequently my BSA has increased, thus increasing the size at which my aneurysm (by that method) should be replaced. It seems counter-intuitive that the same cardiovascular system that served my leaner body would be somehow more worthy to continue doing so because I am in worse physical shape. So...even if you were "the standard stick pole" at...say...200 pounds, your BSA would be 2.23 and your aneurysm would be "safe" until 5.575cm. Still a ways off.

I'm rooting for stability with crossed fingers and toes.

Do you have a link to this information?
I would be very interested in having that to read through and get oppinions about.
But by your second calculation and my current rate of aneurysm growth I would have just over a year; if the growth stays the same. (my lean body mass at approximately 8% body fat would be near 245 to 250 lb's)

BTW, can you tell me how to cross my toes, I can use all the crossing I can get.