Has this happened to anyone else?

[jfprofit]

I'm now 11 months post surgery for bi-cuspid aorta valve replacement. I'd been having chest pains off an on that the doctor said not to worry about. "Probably scar tissue." When I started getting short of breath again he decided that it was time for a stress test and an echo. The stress test went fine, but the echo revealed that the new St. Jude Titanium aorta valve is leaking some. He ordered a Trans-esophogeal echo to see what's up, that will occur in a few weeks. Sound familiar to anyone?

 

[Nancy]

Joe had a paravalvular leak a while after his mitral valve implantation. He eventually had another surgery to close the leak.

He had a nasty fall right on his chest, actually a faint, and soon after that he had some symptoms. I feel the hard fall caused the leak. His cardiologist waited on it for a while to watch it, but it got worse and had to be taken care of.

There are many people who have had small leaks after surgery, and eventually their own tissue covers over the leak. Some have the small leak and don't have anything done with it, because it is not symptomatic.

Also there are people who have tissues that do not "hold" the stitches well, and things can come apart, myxomatous tissue.

It is good to have further testing to assess the severity of the leak. Best wishes.

 

[Hot Rod Harry]

Yes. I have pain every now and then. I thought it was the tissue, or the wire. My valve is leaking, and I'm 5 months post op.

 

[RandyL]

I'm now 11 months post surgery for bi-cuspid aorta valve replacement. I'd been having chest pains off an on that the doctor said not to worry about. "Probably scar tissue." When I started getting short of breath again he decided that it was time for a stress test and an echo. The stress test went fine, but the echo revealed that the new St. Jude Titanium aorta valve is leaking some. He ordered a Trans-esophogeal echo to see what's up, that will occur in a few weeks. Sound familiar to anyone?

Unfortunately you can change your name and put mine there. I am 11 months post op. My SOB is getting worse and I feel the pressure on my chest more.I did the Echo and the TEE 2 months ago and they found a leaky St., Judes . I have decided to go for a second opinion sometime in the next 30 days, gotta scedule an appt.

 

[lilbit]

When you say chest pain does it feel like incision pain and achiness or does it feel like the pain is behind the sterum? Also what are other symtoms are there? I did read shortness of breath anything else you noticed? I am 3 months post op and not feeling so good lately and I had a pretty good dizzy spell yesterday I called my doctor but he didn't seem to concerned, he just said to call him if I had another one. But I am listening to my body and something doesn't seem right.

 

[WayneGM]

I had a pretty good dizzy spell yesterday I called my doctor but he didn't seem to concerned, he just said to call him if I had another one. But I am listening to my body and something doesn't seem right.

lilbit, if I were you at 3 months post-op, I'd listen to my body first and go to ER to get it checked out. Better to be safe than sorry. I'm surprised at your doctor's response. Mine said that for the next 6 months post-op to go to ER if ever I wasn't feeling right or experiencing anything abnormal, although admittedly this soon after OHS I wasn't quite sure what normal was supposed to be. However, I think a "pretty good dizzy spell" is something abnormal. Hopefully it's nothing but best to be sure than worry about it. Good luck.

 

[Ross]

Is this a mechanical st judes leaking ? So much for the one time surgery theory.

Sorry, but there is NEVER any guarantee. It's the closest possiblility to never having surgery again, but it's not out of the question.