Who wants to see my dilated aorta working in real time?

[Bryan B]

I got a copy of my cardiac MRI today. I'm not sure this is going to work but I'm going to give it a try. If the "in motion" part of the MRI doesn't work I can post some still pictures of it but it's just not the same. This would be really cool even if my aorta wasn't dilated. You can actually see the blood (in B&W) being pumped up and through the aorta from the aortic valve. If these links don't work I will edit the post and use smaller Gif images.

EDIT: I removed the links as I guess they only work if you have the CD in your computer. See posts below.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Well, I was all excited and I can't get it to work!

 

[Bryan B]

I had a feeling that wouldn't work. I think I can post them as gif's but they will be a lot smaller. Let's see if this works. Just click on the attachment and the picture will pop up and be in motion. Then click on the picture so it's in it's own window. Then if you hold down the Ctrl key and keep hitting the + key it will get quite a bit larger, thus easier to see.

 

[Bryan B]

Here is another view:

 

[Ross]

Nice big balloon you got there. The first doesn't look all that terrible, but the second.......

Sorry dude, that thing brings back some really bad memories.

 

[skeptic49]

WoW! Thanks for posting this, Bryan. What is the size of your ascending aorta?

Jim

 

[Bina]

Very interestng...... thanks for posting the gif files, it's more comprehensive than viewing wiki diagrams.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Cool! I've never seen an MRI of the heart. My surgery was done long before that was popular. I couldn't tell much from the first, but on the second I do see the bulge. So was this not there at the time of your last surgery, or did they choose not to repair it then?

 

[csutherland]

That's pretty cool, only the ctrl, + , etc, instruction didn't work for me.

I wish they'd do an MRI on Jerry's aorta; his doctors just stay with CT scans and have never shown interest in an MRI.

 

[Bryan B]

Nice big balloon you got there.

Thanks Ross...if do something I do it right! Yeah in the second picture you can see how it has ballooned out on both sides. I also have a gif showing the measurements of the aortic root and the ascending aorta.

From all of the scans of the aortic root the minimum size was 3.9cm and the maximum size was 4.9cm for an average size of 4.43cm.

From all of the scans of the ascending aorta the minimum size was 4.9cm and the maximum size was 5.7cm for an average size of 5.27cm.
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Lisa,

This was not there at the time of my surgery. They weren't even aware that there was a problem with my ascending aorta until they did the MRI to get a more exact measurement on my aortic root which has been dilating at a rate of approximately 3mm a year over the last 3 years.
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csutherland,

Once you click on the picture in the post it will pop up with kind of a black background with the picture in motion. If you click that picture it will open a new window on your browser with nothing but the moving picture with nothing else on the page. To enlarge the picture press the Ctrl key and hold it down. With it held down hit the + key on your number keypad at the far right side of your keyboard (the calculator pad to the right).
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skeptic49,

The averaged measurement of my ascending aorta is 5.27cm.
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I wish I wasn't viewing this MRI...but since I am it really is quite fascinating. I also have moving gifs of my aortic valve regurgitating a jet of blood and my pulmonary valve opening and closing perfectly. If anyone is interested in seeing those pictures let me know in this thread and I'll put them up when I get the chance. The way I look at it is that if I have to go through this...ummm..."stuff" again I might at least share some insight as to what it looks like on an MRI, and I will try to let you know what my options will be and what decisions myself, the surgeon, and the cardios make before the surgery (the big "discuss my options" appointment is on the 11th). Hopefully this might help someone in the future that has to go down the same path.

I forgot to mention two other things. I think it's really cool to see how the blood travels through the different heart chambers of the heart before being pumped through the aorta. The other thing is that the MRI proves that without a doubt that I do have a heart.

 

[Harrybaby666]

Oh My Bryan......

Oh My Bryan......

Ole Harrybaby is hoping your gonna have this fixed ASAP..... When you do, please know that I have got you in my thoughts and prayers!!!! Harrybaby

 

[skeptic49]

skeptic49,

The averaged measurement of my ascending aorta is 5.27cm.

Thanks, Bryan...but don't they usually go by the maximum size as far as determining the need for surgery? (I realize that even your averaged size is above the surgery threshold.)

I forgot to mention...the MRI proves that without a doubt that I do have a heart.

LOL!

Best wishes,

Jim

 

[Ross]

Bryan post as many of them as you can. It is interesting and I don't think many people get to see this stuff in action.

 

[Bryan B]

Bryan post as many of them as you can. It is interesting and I don't think many people get to see this stuff in action.

Sorry it took so long to respond. I'm trying to get in as much golf as possible in case it will be awhile before I play again.



Here are a few more gifs from my MRI. I will post more as time allows. Actually I don't totally understand what some of the gifs represent, but I intend to find out on Tuesday the 11th which is the day I meet with the Duke "heart gurus" to discuss "my options".

GIF #1: According to the radiologist that did the MRI and explained the more pertinent results to me said this is the regurgitation from my aortic valve. He measured the regurgitation as mild to moderate so this picture looks worse than it is (I guess).

 

[Bryan B]

This one according to the radiologist is a good picture of my pulmonary valve opening and closing very well. What do you know...at least something is functioning properly (knock on wood).

 

[Bryan B]

This one is pretty cool. It's my entire aorta (ascending and descending) in 3D spinning around.

 

[Bryan B]

And here is my favorite one. I'm not even sure of the significance of it (although I'm sure the doctors do), but this is what I call my "Homer Simpson" heart. Some may see what I'm talking about and some may not...but I saw it right away.



That's all for now. There are a few more interesting pictures that don't necessarily make any sense to me as far as my immediate problem but they are cool shots of the heart at work. I may post those later if I get the chance. My meeting with the "gurus" is on Tuesday and I'm really trying not to think about heart stuff right now and just play some golf, eat, surf YouTube for comedy, and sleep a lot. But I did say I was going to post some more of these pictures several days ago and never got around to it so I bit the bullet and took another look at my "broken heart".

 

[Ross]

Ooo, Donuts!

That really is cool. I know we've seen still shots before, but the animation makes it really really cool.

Thanks for posting them.

 

[Duff Man]

Bryan, man, that's concerning. It looks like it's doing a kind of whirlpool flow like a washing machine or something in the first gif... and you're no washing machine! And.. the shape...

I'm so very glad your consult is soon.

 

[Bina]

Excellent gifs.....these belong in our reference section.......Ross??