Worried Newbie

[JamieM]

First off.. hello to everyone here! I've been reading some of your posts, and I'm glad to see such a supportive group here.

Now for my questions.. My father (72) has been battling heart problems for almost 20 years. He has already had two quad bypasses, along with several stents, angio's, etc.. Throughout all of this, there has always been the discussion of the calcification (sp?) in his aorta. According to the latest tests, his valve is about 8/10s of a centimeter open, and the doctor says it is "as hard as a rock".

The doctor is recommending an aorta and valve replacement. Going in to "clean out" the aorta is out of the question as it is too plugged.

Has anyone had this procedure done before? How was the recovery? How has your quality of life improved post-surgery?

I'm just trying to get a handle on what this actually entails and what to expect.

Thanks for any insight!

Jamie

 

[catwoman]

Jamie:
Welcome... others will soon join in with a welcome too!
Yes, some of us have had AVR because of stenosis, with aortic repair. I'm sure that's what you're referring to. Some have had AVR because of bicuspid leaflets of the AV, rather than the normal tricuspid.

A friend's mom had VR done at age 74, with great results. Am sure some here have had VR done in their 70s, also.

My surgery was mitral valve replacement, so I can't speak about AVR.

 

[tobagotwo]

Many of the AVR recipients here had aortic valve stenosis due to calcification (I did, for one). A subset of them had repair of the aorta or partial replacement, although it's more frequently due to enlargement and concern with aortic dissections than with having the walls heavily calcified.

However, the operation is the same, and the replacement parts are the same, so it falls into this well-practiced and well-understood operating procedure. What you'll find here for aortic valve replacement will follow right along with what your father will undergo.

There are a lot of threads you will find interesting to browse through here, and many who will help answer any questions you have left.

Best wishes,

 

[Phyllis]

**** had aortice valve replacement due to severe stenosis last year at age 70. He had no other heart problems and is very physically active so he had a relatively easy recovery and is now 100%. He was back to golf and tennis at 3 months post surgery. We have an aunt who had an AVR at 84 along with a bypass and she did well also and lived on to make her 90th birthday.
Welcome to the forum and please don't hesitate to ask any and all questions. Once you browse through the various threads you will get a handle on the situation that you and your Dad face and will most likely come up with many more questions.

 

[Nancy]

My husband Joe has had three heart valve surgeries. He has a mechanical aortic valve, a mechanical mitral valve and had a repair done on the mitral.

He's 73 years old. He has many heart problems as the result of having had rheumatic fever as a teen, he also has pulmonary problems.

The surgery is a lifesaver, and is highly perfected. The recovery is about 6-8 weeks, then people generally feel pretty well. It is major, major surgery and the final full recovery can take a while longer, but will be improving all the while.

The surgeons who do this surgery are highly trained and are in and out of people's hearts a couple of time or more each day. They really know their stuff.

Welcome to the group.