Reddog
Well-known member
And keep in mind that as a younger guy in otherwise good health, your chance of a good outcome is better than those published by the hospitals for the general case.
Best of luck,
Red
What Are Mortality Rates for Valve-Sparing/Aneurysm Repair Surgeries
- Thread starter cbdheartman
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And keep in mind that as a younger guy in otherwise good health, your chance of a good outcome is better than those published by the hospitals for the general case.
Best of luck,
Red
gustaf
Well-known member
Hi,
I read a few studies on mortality rates a couple a years ago, and it landed at around 2% (<30 days) for this kind of surgery. Remember however that this includes older population and those with symptoms as well, so it will be lower for young/healthy people. I understood it to be about half/half on the table or through complications.
There is (obviously...) no concept of stable aneuyrisms, at least not when it is larger in size. I had 5,1 cm 15 years ago, and were pretty stable for 10 years at 5,3 cm. I also had absolutely no symptoms and were running long distance. In fact, I was stupid enough to gather old MRI data to convince the doctors to postpone my surgery, since I was stable and had too much to do at work.
This was not very smart.
I dissected 1 1/2 years ago, still at 5,3 cm. I had had light fever for a few days without any other symptoms and got light angina one morning. It felt wrong somehow, so I went to the ER. Despite my history I was initially treated as any other infarction patient with chest pain, and it took 5 hours before I managed to push through the contrast CT queue when the pain was increasing. Then everything went extremely fast. I was rushed in ambulance to a nearby hospital and on the table within in 20 minutes from leaving the first hospital. At the table, the dissection was quite advanced, and blood leaking through a tear which I understand was more to the heart side, which might have saved me. I later had complications with blood clot formation (which is common especially after dissections), but another OHS saved me from a relatively certain stroke. I was also lucky to have one of Sweden's top surgeons, despite this being a Sunday afternoon.
My family was told that I would have a fair chance to survive when I left for surgery, which was a bit of a white lie.
So much for stable aneuyrisms.
All planned surgeries are astronomically more safe than the ones done during dissections. So do it if they say you should.
As you can see on this forum, the outcome differs a lot between the surgeries. Most can get back to something akin to what they did before, but not everyone. I can still run, but much shorter distances. I hope this will get better after my last surgery (aorta dilation), but typically the emergency surgeries seem to be more likely to render less optimal results. I am however very grateful for being alive.
::g
I read a few studies on mortality rates a couple a years ago, and it landed at around 2% (<30 days) for this kind of surgery. Remember however that this includes older population and those with symptoms as well, so it will be lower for young/healthy people. I understood it to be about half/half on the table or through complications.
There is (obviously...) no concept of stable aneuyrisms, at least not when it is larger in size. I had 5,1 cm 15 years ago, and were pretty stable for 10 years at 5,3 cm. I also had absolutely no symptoms and were running long distance. In fact, I was stupid enough to gather old MRI data to convince the doctors to postpone my surgery, since I was stable and had too much to do at work.
This was not very smart.
I dissected 1 1/2 years ago, still at 5,3 cm. I had had light fever for a few days without any other symptoms and got light angina one morning. It felt wrong somehow, so I went to the ER. Despite my history I was initially treated as any other infarction patient with chest pain, and it took 5 hours before I managed to push through the contrast CT queue when the pain was increasing. Then everything went extremely fast. I was rushed in ambulance to a nearby hospital and on the table within in 20 minutes from leaving the first hospital. At the table, the dissection was quite advanced, and blood leaking through a tear which I understand was more to the heart side, which might have saved me. I later had complications with blood clot formation (which is common especially after dissections), but another OHS saved me from a relatively certain stroke. I was also lucky to have one of Sweden's top surgeons, despite this being a Sunday afternoon.
My family was told that I would have a fair chance to survive when I left for surgery, which was a bit of a white lie.
So much for stable aneuyrisms.
All planned surgeries are astronomically more safe than the ones done during dissections. So do it if they say you should.
As you can see on this forum, the outcome differs a lot between the surgeries. Most can get back to something akin to what they did before, but not everyone. I can still run, but much shorter distances. I hope this will get better after my last surgery (aorta dilation), but typically the emergency surgeries seem to be more likely to render less optimal results. I am however very grateful for being alive.
::g
ALCapshaw2
Well-known member
I don't understand Dr. Svensson's recommendation to wait.
What is the point? What is the added value? What are the RISKS?
You may want to get yet another opinion from a Surgeon who has a LOT of experience doing surgery of the Aorta and KNOWS how to recognize signs of Connective Tissue Disorders (CTD).
Since you have BAV and very probably CTD it is highly unlikely that your Aneurism will remain stable for a Long Time.
How is your life going now, Knowing that you have this "ticking time bomb" inside your chest? Can you focus on Work, Family, Fun, Sleep?
Why not just GET IT FIXED and Get On with Life after your recovery?
I see NO BENEFIT in waiting for your first sign of a Disection or Rupture and hoping that you can get to a Skilled Surgeon and staff before you bleed out and don't have any Permanent Damage following emergency surgery (such as the damage Ross suffers with following his disected Aorta and emergency surgery).
Out of morbid curiosity, I hope you have taught / designated someone to know how to post to VR.com to let us know how it goes with you (i.e. whether you go to surgery or suffer a 'sudden death'). "Curious minds want to know".
What is the point? What is the added value? What are the RISKS?
You may want to get yet another opinion from a Surgeon who has a LOT of experience doing surgery of the Aorta and KNOWS how to recognize signs of Connective Tissue Disorders (CTD).
Since you have BAV and very probably CTD it is highly unlikely that your Aneurism will remain stable for a Long Time.
How is your life going now, Knowing that you have this "ticking time bomb" inside your chest? Can you focus on Work, Family, Fun, Sleep?
Why not just GET IT FIXED and Get On with Life after your recovery?
I see NO BENEFIT in waiting for your first sign of a Disection or Rupture and hoping that you can get to a Skilled Surgeon and staff before you bleed out and don't have any Permanent Damage following emergency surgery (such as the damage Ross suffers with following his disected Aorta and emergency surgery).
Out of morbid curiosity, I hope you have taught / designated someone to know how to post to VR.com to let us know how it goes with you (i.e. whether you go to surgery or suffer a 'sudden death'). "Curious minds want to know".
Bob for CCF, Svensson started doing a modified David a few years ago, I couldn't find the numbers last night, but from what I remember part of the reason for doing it is even better success than the regular David
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/disorders/aorta_marfan/davidreimplantation.aspx
Gail in Ca
Well-known member
I found out AFTER my 3rd surgery that the risk was 10-25%!(I read it on this site,ugh). I really didn't want to know, so I didn't ask. But, before my 1st surgery in '89, I did ask and was told 5%, so 95% make it fine, as I did.
