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Buckeye in MI

Hi!

Had TEE done today. Not bad at all...just glad it is over.

Doc told me that my regurgitation was moderate to severe so now back to the cardiologist to see the next step.

Everyone keeps asking me about my symptoms and I don't really have any. I just wonder how many other people are walking around with this too and have no idea.

Any thoughts on what "moderate to severe" may mean?

Thanks for everyone's support!

Jane
Buckeye in MI
Waiting...
 
Hi Jane,

Glad the TEE went well. I am classified as moderate to severe as well - it's all to do with amount of leakage apparently - I'm sure others out there will know a lot more about it than me though :) When I had my last echocardiogram the technician was telling me that she gets people in there with severe regurgitation that have no idea at all there was anything wrong - apparently it happens quite regularly....
 
Jane,

I am also asymptomatic (well at least I think I am).... We'll see after surgery. Many people have told me that I probably have symptoms that I don't recognize because they tend to sneak up on you. You just tend to attribute to "getting older" or "being out of shape".

Hard for me to know since I haven't been in the gym regularly in the last 3 years (although I am now).

Your heart can compensate for regurgitation for a long time before it starts to struggle to the point that you can't breathe easily. However, the idea is to catch this issue before that point and correct it before permanent damage is done to your heart.
 
Hi Jane:

You might want to check out Arlyss' (search AHA guidelines) recent post where she included the latest (recently published) AHA/ACC guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease. If you look at the index at the beginning you can pretty easily scroll down to the pertinent info. If you get a copy of the actual report from the TEE from your cardio, you can use the guidelines to help explain/clarify/formulate questions.
 
David,

Thanks for the reply. I wanted to pass on to you that 2 of my 3 brothers have had their mitral valve replaced. One was 16 years ago (he is 56 now) and the other was 8 years ago (he is 48 now). They are both doing great with their St. Jude valves. Their surgeries were a while ago and things have just gotten better so I think you're in the right place. My 3rd brother is 51 with cardiomyopathy, the only one without MVP. My sister (54) has MVP and is like me. She has already made her dr. appt! I think you are right and the symptoms tend to sneak up on you. I have some really aggressive doctors who want to keep me in the shape I am in. Like you I have been working out and trying to get in better cardio shape.

Best of luck to you!

Jane
46 years mvp/mr
Buckeye in MI
 
I have read that some people have very minor symptoms with very severe regurgitation, and others have severe symptoms with minor regurgitation. It all depends on how good your heart is at compensating for the leakage. What determines that? Can't help you there. I personally had SOB during heavy exhersion (read: sprinting), occasional nocternal dyspnea, and occasional palpitations. If I didn't run or lift weights as much as I did, I probably wouldn't have noticed any symptoms until much later.
 
Glad your TEE went well Jane. So....do you think your mitral valve issues are genetic?:D
 
Hi Jane,
I just thought I'd answer you back here since you started a new thread. I think I was moderate to severe for about 5 years. I bet your cardiologist is still going to be pushing for "surgery at your convenience". In hindsight, I'm starting to wish I would have done it sooner since all the young people on here seem to recover so fast. I have 8 years on you which I bet makes a big difference. Just today I trimmed all the front bushes with an electric hedge shears for 3 hours straight, and I feel fine, so I'd say I'm still asymptomatic.
It will be interesting to see what your sister finds out.

I must have been "out" before they even sprayed my throat since I have no memory of it.

I do think you have some time on your side. Even Dr. Cosgrove said I could still do this whenever and that I didn't need to be in a hurry. They did say that I have mild left ventricular enlargement, so that was more of a concern to them than the severe regurge. I looked up my old echoes, and they showed mild left enlargement as far back as 15 years ago. It will be interesting to see if he finds anything different once he gets in there.

Glad everything worked out for you today:)
 
"Moderate to Severe" means you should be monitored regularly. I would push for annually, and sooner if you become more symptomatic.

This is also a good time to go "Surgeon Shopping". Ask your cardio who he would recommend and look for someone who has considerable experience with your issues. Then let the SURGEON decide on the timing of your surgery since most surgeons like to operate BEFORE there is any permanent damage to your heart muscles and walls (cardiomyopathy or irreversible ENLARGEMENT).

'AL Capshaw'
 
Hi Jane,

So glad your TEE went well. I've never had a TEE but have had 2 upper endoscopy to check out my bad indigestion problems so I think I know what you had done. Thank goodness for the sedation they give you!!!

I'm also asymptomatic. Ironically my MR was found quite accidently in July 2004. While talking to the cardiologist who was doing my stress test (which my PCP sent me for because I was concerned about my risk of coronary artery disease since my father had triple bypass at age 62 and then died after having 2 major heart attacks within 10 days at age 81) I mentioned that I had passed out and had chest pains that past winter while dealing with a series of bad infections (ear, sinus and UTI). He said lets do an echo and lo and behold he found a leaky mitral valve. At a follow-up with a different cardio, he coud hardly hear any heart murmur.

He keeps telling me not to worry that I won't need surgery for a while - I just wish I knew when "a while" was. I can't help but not worry and I'm not getting any younger!!!

Susie
 
Buckeye in MI said:
Everyone keeps asking me about my symptoms and I don't really have any. I just wonder how many other people are walking around with this too and have no idea.

Any thoughts on what "moderate to severe" may mean?
Click to expand...

First off, I'm sorry you have to suffer living in that "State up north" lol ;)

Back in 1999 and early 2000 prior to my surgery, I didn't have any symptoms either. Well.... I didn't think I did.
However, I did have many symptoms. I just didn't realize that they were. The symptoms come on so gradually for most of us that our minds tend to make up reasons for the feelings or symptoms we may be experiencing.
For example with me, I would get out of breath very rapidly, yet could maintain a very high level of activity for a long period of time. This was something I had experienced even all the way back to high school football and wrestling. In those earlier years, my mind had convinced me that I had a touch of asthma. So over the years as it became worse, I didn't even realize how quickly I was becoming winded or out of breathe....because I was sure of the asthma.
Well, I was wrong. It was the regurgitating valve and enlargement of my heart that was the reason I became winded so easy.

The moderate to severe specifically is a measurement on the amount of regurgitation your heart and valve are experiencing. Normally they apply a number to the insufficiency, ranging from 1 - 4.
For example moderate may be a "2+" or "3" where as severe could range from "4" to "4+".
I recall the doc in the cath lab referring to mine as an extreme 4+ when they did my cath prior to surgery.

Hope this helps and makes sense.

Ben
 
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