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JulienDu

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 30, 2015
Messages
217
Location
Alberta, Edmonton. Canada
Hey guys

So finally I had my surgery the 2nd of February instead of the 4th. The surgeon had a free spot and I took it.

On Tuesday at 6am, I met the surgical team and they started butchering me. After 6 hours of surgery and 6 hours of sleep I woke up in a very good mood with my wife close to me and no tube in my mouth. Compare to my horrible experience when I was 10 the waking up was very nice. But my wife told me that I woke up without being conscious 3 hours before and I was trying to "fight" with the nurse to get my tube out. I have 0 memory of that.

I met the surgeon in ICU and he told me he put a 25 St Jude Mechanical valve and a dracon graft. I was pissed at the beginning cause I really wanted an Onyx. But he told me the fit was so perfect for the St Jude that it was not worth cutting though my meat to fit the Onyx. Despite that I was a bit pissed the surgeon told me that the new St Jude will have the same anti coagulant tolerance as the Onyx. Also, I hear almost nothing, unless my blood pressure goes high and there is silence around. My wife cant hear anything unless she puts her head against my chest and it is not often that she can hear it this way

Another reason for being less pissed is that my wife and my family told me that I looked younger with a fresh face. Not that I was ugly but even looking in the mirror, I felt that I changed. The surgeon told me that my natural valve was pretty worn out. With my human valve, I used to feel a very strong thump in my chest and I dont anymore. I was even able to see my skin at my chest pushing up and down every heart beat. I do not see that anymore.

The day after my surgery, I was transfered to hospital room where I started walking. I felt like **** but my energy is really coming back. Today, I have been walking all day and I have a hard time staying in my room. Doctors told me that if there is not problem I should be out this saturday.

I am a bit tired writing so I dont know if it makes a lot of sense but I wanted to give you some news for all the help that was given on this forum.
 
congrats on the surgery. like everyone says, walking>>walking>>and more walking is key in your recovery. staying positive also helps with the mental side of recovery.

good luck and keep us posted!
 
hey, glad to see you back.

:)

I was interested in an On-X, but I got an ATS. I think each has its advantages and the differences are slim.

be well soon mate
 
Hi Julien. It really helps to be young and fit going thru this surgery. I think it's fantastic that you can go home 4 -5 days after surgery. You must be in really good shape......but that should be expected for someone who builds log homes and spends a lot of time living in the woods.

Since you are two years younger than what I was when our valves were implanted I expect you will break my longevity record.....and that's OK by me. It's great that you will be in a lower INR range.....but always remember to "take the warfarin as prescribed and test routinely".
 
Thanks guys

@Pellicle

yeah exactly. I mean when you know you might have your valve as long as dick0236 had it you often wish the best for you. But my surgeon philosophy is the "perfect fit" rather than the "perfect valve". I can not blame him cause I know he does put a lot of Onyx too. He really insisted in the fact that the 25 St Jude Regent was a perfect fit and as a surgeon he would rather see that than cut through meat.

dick0236

​My shape is not bad but I think the progress made are impressive. I cant imagine how hard it must have been for you 40 years ago when I remember how tough it was for me 20 years ago. The way they wake you up nowadays is quite impressive. So impressive, that for now, my "best day" in the hospital is the ICU day. 20 years ago my ICU days were my worst and I have been having nightmares on them for a long time.

Yes I will try to be careful on my warafin. You guys gave so many grave adivces on them. Also I am not sure that I will be on a low INR yet, just that my surgeon told me that all last generation valve could handle low INR as it was mentionned by Pellicle in a post.

I cross fingers and hope my last days will go without trouble.
 
Hi
JulienDu;n862375 said:
yeah exactly. I mean when you know you might have your valve as long as dick0236 had it you often wish the best for you. But my surgeon philosophy is the "perfect fit" rather than the "perfect valve". I can not blame him cause I know he does put a lot of Onyx too. He really insisted in the fact that the 25 St Jude Regent was a perfect fit and as a surgeon he would rather see that than cut through meat.
Click to expand...

one thing is that the surgeons really do know their stuff much better than us. I trusted my surgeon and the one before him. curiously my surgeon as a youngster was Dr Greg Stafford, and my surgeon back in 2011 was from Dr Stafford team. It was the same hospital too. That gave me confidence.


the other thing is that the St Jude has a long and good track record. one thing you don't want is a manufacturing defect and need to have it replace under warranty :)

I'm glad you are doing well.

Abientot Mon Ami
 
JulienDu;n862361 said:
Another reason for being less pissed is that my wife and my family told me that I looked younger with a fresh face.
Click to expand...
Congratulations on having had your surgery !

I've got photos of me in ICU and I definitley looked younger, not just my face but the skin on my arms and chest. I realised what it was due to - all the fluids they pumped me full of ! It realy made me look well and less thin than I normally am.

Wishing you well in your continuing recovery Julien !
 
Damn right Pellicle, they know more than us. Only thing that can frighten me with the medical system is if they are being lobbied to get one type of product and not the other.

Paleogirl : ah **** you are breaking my dream of eternal youth hahaha. Well I guess I will be back ugly in a couple days, I thought the new valve was the reason haha.
 
JulienDu;n862381 said:
Paleogirl[/USER] : ah **** you are breaking my dream of eternal youth hahaha. Well I guess I will be back ugly in a couple days, I thought the new valve was the reason haha.
Click to expand...
Maybe your valve is different Julien and you will have eternal youth :)
 
Congratulations and welcome to the other side! I like your surgeons logic about not cutting through meat even though his valve choice was a disappointment. We are all helpless when under the knife; no control. But as others have said, you've got to trust your surgeon.
 
Thanks guys

honeybunny

Yes this is my feeling. I think I am slowly getting used to this valve that was not my first choice. I think the surgeon choice of not cutting through was good. St Jude ( as the ATS) is made with the same kind of carbon of Onyx so I will not complained on that side. I just liked the Pannus Barrier on the Onyx, though it needs couple years to fully prove his efficiency against it. My surgeon told me that Pannus Growth is much more present in smaller valve (under 21) and women are most affected by it. Thats why he decided to fit this 25 St Jude, as the risk for pannus will be minimal and it was avoiding the damage caused by enlargement ( and also the time spent on the pump), the 25 size was also providing excellent hemodynamism and mean gradient. I have to trust him but I feel like you honeybunny, that there is logic behind it.
 
Great news, Julien. Glad all went well. Good health and steady progress to you.

At my last consultation a few weeks back, my cardiologist at St Thomas' Hospital, London mentioned their surgeons usually used Carbomedics mechanical valves. She said it has an excellent track record. My reading around the subject since then seems to suggest that.

Having said that, and either way, I've still no idea exactly how long I'll be a Waiting Room resident. Due another echocardiogram within a month. Meanwhile, it's good to follow your story.
 
Seaton l just read your post and that is what l received was a 23mm Carbomedics Aortic mechanical valve with a 23mm root repair and a physio 11 28 mm mitral valve repair. Exactly one month post op today.
 
Hi

JulienDu;n862381 said:
Damn right Pellicle, they know more than us. Only thing that can frighten me with the medical system is if they are being lobbied to get one type of product and not the other.
Click to expand...

I am glad to see you posting, its a sign of hospital confinement boredom which means you have energy :)

Like you I'd read a bit about the valves before I had my 2011 operation and was inclined towards the On-X valve too (before I'd found this site). I expressed that in a blog post (here) and wrote a letter to my surgeon a little prior to surgery (as we didn't have another slated appointment till the table appointment). I expressed that if he had no objection I'd prefer an On-X valve. He said "we'll see what we see".

I ultimately got an ATS valve (now called Medtronics) because he said that when he was there looking that the ATS valve was better suited. He also made the point that the ATS valves available had a pre stitched aortic graft on them, which would reduce time on the bypass pump. The On-X graft had not yet recieved approval in Australia. (I'm sure Canada has similar issues to us)

Two weeks after I got home a package arrived and it was from ATS Australia. They had sent me a Coagucheck XS as a gift to help manage my INR. As you know I took that ball and ran with it.

:)

Best Wishes
 
Excellent news Julien. You are making great progress. You have a valve with a great track record.
 
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