Met my surgeon today

[lynn]

We travelled over to Shands in Gainesville and met with Dr. Martin. I've got to say he was so easy to talk to and really put us at ease. He drew pictures which is always a good thing with me

He first asked what my symptoms were then, when I was done he told me based on the echo he rec'd from my cardio that I was *critical* being at 0.8. Thank heavens I listened to my gut and you guys and not my cardio (who wanted to wait 3 more months for another echo) and went on to talk with him!!

Surgery will be right after T-giving, he said 6 months would be far too long and summer was an absolute NO (I work for the schools). So, this gives me my winter vacation to recoup and just about 4 weeks of work time off.

He gave us the choice of tissue or mechanical......ugh.....right now we are leaning mechanical, I guess, (I'll be 47 in a few weeks).

So, thank you all for your insight and understanding!!!

 

[Phyllis]

So glad you found the right surgeon and the right time for surgery. Let us know when you have the exact date so we can put you on the calendar. Sending you all our best wishes,
Phyllis

 

[aussiemember]

Hi Lynn,

So glad you were happy with your surgeon and that he was easy to talk to. My cardiologist also loves to draw pictures (although half the time we can't quite understand them!!!). Glad too that you decided to go and see him rather than wait!! All the best with it all and let us know how everything goes in the meantime

 

[kodi]

Lynn, Glad you met and are happy with your surgeon. Like you, I live quite a distance from my surgeon so relied on my card here to recommend him. They are both associated with AZ Heart Institute. I really think it makes a difference to like the person that you are putting your life into their hands.
Thanksgiving isn't too far away and time will go fast but if you're like most of us here, the wait is the hardest. Just keep a positive attitude. I'm now 11 days post surgery and feeling so much better than I thought I would at this point and I'm sure you'll be feeling much better in a short time.

 

[KAJ]

Hi Lynn,

I am glad things went so well with your surgeon. You were certainly in my thoughts and prayers today. Please keep us posted and let us know if you have any questions and or conerns about before and after surgery issues.

Karl

 

[Karlynn]

Glad you liked the surgeon. Your experience with your cardio is typical. We say here, a lot, that cardios tend to be pretty conservative and wait too long.

 

[lynn]

Yes, I have learned that from here!! This is such a great community of information!

Karl, thanx for the prayers!!!!

Now, who wants to pick my valve!

 

[Marguerite53]

Good for you!! I'm very glad that you are all lined up to get your new valve. So, critical at .8! I guess I was critical in bold letters at .5!! (6 months before I had been at .9)And my cardiologist said then that I could wait 6 months. I actually did wait from December 1st until April 18th. (had other medical stuff to do). My remarks here are only to allay any emergency feeling you have deep inside. Don't change your mind, tho!! Don't wait like I did! It is definitely time!!

It seems that your surgeon has suggested that you look into a tissue valve. Why would he do that? I'm 5 years older than you and did go tissue. For some reason (I'm a trust your intuition type) it just always resonated the best for me. I don't advocate it either way since I truly, truly feel that this is a very personal decision for everyone. But I am curious why he even thinks you should consider it at your age. New statistics are coming out all the time, and I know that these newer model tissue valves are very promising. How old is he and what kind would he choose for himself? Which type valve has he most experience with?

Well, don't wrack your brain too hard over it. Try to make a choice and then stick with it. You are going to own it......there can't be any room for buyer's remorse! Either way....you really get a wonderful gift!

Take care. Let us know how else we can assist you as you wait.

Marguerite

 

[lynn]

Marguerite,

No, he told us to choose mechanical or tissue. I told him two cardios automatically said mechanical and asked if he was going to say the same thing. He said it was my choice. He is 50 and if he had to get one it would be a tissue, only because he is very active, scuba diving, hunting, etc., etc. I am not that way We went over the whole coumadin vs. length of tissue years debate and yet he still said he would do whatever I wish......sigh......I hate making these kind of decisions!

It's just like when I was going through my BC and deciding whether to to a mastectomy or not!

 

[Karlynn]

He is 50 and if he had to get one it would be a tissue, only because he is very active, scuba diving, hunting, etc., etc.

Give him our forum link and tell him to come here and take a look at the activities that many of our Coumadin users do.

 

[breakofdawn2000]

Hi Lynn

I have been in a huge dilemma with deciding between Tissue and Mechanical and I really don't like to be told that this is the way one should go and that is the most sensible for your age.....I am 41yrs old and I am leaning towards tissue and my surgeon is in his 50's and told me he would choose tissue over mechanical but in the end it is my choice.

He did point out though that if I chose mechanical and was on Coumadin that if I need ANY kind of other surgery that I would have to stop taking the Coumadin and that my risks of anything happening with my valves would increase due to the fact that I have 2 mechanicals valves. He seemed to be confident that I don't need a replacement on my Mitral however he will not know that for definate until he gets in there.

I am very happy with my surgeon also and he is not aggresive or pushy on the valve issue, as in the end it is YOUR body and you will make the decision that is fit for you!


Good luck with your decision....I think in the end as long as you get the valves fixed that is a good decision...right?

My thoughts are with you through this difficult time in your life and Kudos to you for beating BC....

I live in Florida also.

 

[debster913]

Glad to hear that you are getting your surgery in the nick of time...

As a teacher myself, I'd dreaded having to need surgery in the middle of the school year and come back at a weird time. Thankfully, my valve went right before Easter, so I only missed the rest of the school year (who wants to grade final exams, anyway? ) and had the summer to recup.

You are already a survivor! You beat beast cancer, and you'll get through this just fine!

Lots of positive thoughts!

Debi (debster913)

 

[Karlynn]

Lynn, on the other hand, if you end up needing 2 valves replaced and you have them replaced with tissue, what do you do when one wears out before the other? Surgeons are hesitant to replace valves that are operating pretty well, but do they replace one and then wait for the other to wear out and then replace it. It sounds like if you go tissue and have to have 2 replaced, you may be facing the possiblity of needing more surgeries than if you had one replaced.

It doesn't sound like the surgeon thinks you need 2 valves but I thought I'd highlight the issue of what happens when one of the tissues needs to be replaced.

The other thing you need to ask about is if your BC treatment may have some relation to scar tissue in your chest cavity. Scar tissue is the main reason for repeat surgeries to be more complicated and if you already have scar tissue formation due to radiation or treatment that would be something you would want a surgeon to assess when he/she gets in there.

I'm certainly not trying to sway your decision - as you say, it's your body. If you go with tissue, you will still be fairly young when a second surgery rolls around and shouldn't have a problem if everything is otherwise normal. My concern is over the 2 valve issue and the possibility of issues related to your BC treatment.

Best wishes on your decision.

 

[StretchL]

Here We Go Again...

Here We Go Again...

Give him our forum link and tell him to come here and take a look at the activities that many of our Coumadin users do.

...or give him the information from the Cleveland Clinic stating that the risk of lifelong Coumadin therapy is greater than the risk of a re-op if someone goes bioprosthetic...

 

[Karlynn]

...or give him the information from the Cleveland Clinic stating that the risk of lifelong Coumadin therapy is greater than the risk of a re-op if someone goes bioprosthetic...

But she stated that he said he'd go with a tissue because of his activities, not because of surgery risk vs Coumadin. If he had said that, I would not have posted what I did.

I'm not surprised a doctor would choose tissue for himself. Many doctors fear that the least little thing is going to cause them to bleed out, but don't seem nearly as concerned with stroke. And as your article from CC said (I believe it was that one) the risk of stroke was the same for a tissue valve as it was for a mechanical properly anticoagulated. But lets not get into that discussion again.

 

[lynn]

Ooooo.....I didn't mean to start a debate! Although that's how we learn things

Surgery date is set for 11/29....I guess I have time to decide! Thank you everyone for the well wishes!

 

[CathyK.]

Lynn, I am curious as to why he said NO to summer?

 

[lynn]

Because he thought that would be too long considering I'm at 0.8 And, probably because of the symptoms I am having, one of which is driving me nuts and that is the throat pulsating and stuff!

 

[CathyK.]

Oh! Good luck! Mine won't be until Feb. so I will waiting on your posts on what you decided and how things went. I think for me the most exciting part is how good you will feel after. At least that is what everyone hear says! You will be in my prayers! Godspeed!

 

[MikeHeim]

Lynn, on the other hand, if you end up needing 2 valves replaced and you have them replaced with tissue, what do you do when one wears out before the other? Surgeons are hesitant to replace valves that are operating pretty well, but do they replace one and then wait for the other to wear out and then replace it. It sounds like if you go tissue and have to have 2 replaced, you may be facing the possiblity of needing more surgeries than if you had one replaced.

I don't know the answer to this, but don't you think they'd replace both when the first one wore out? That would at least minimize the number of total surgeries.