Appts with 2 surgeons

[catwoman]

I've gotten my husband, John (catman), appointments with 2 surgeons, Barron Hamman at Baylor University Medical Center and William H. Ryan at Presbyterian in Dallas.

Both do mitral valve repairs. In addition, Dr. Hamman has done some investigative research into percutaneous mitral valve repair.

Dr. Hamman has implanted On-X valves. I suspect that Dr. Ryan favors tissue over mechanicals. John has said he leans toward an On-X if a repair isn't feasible.

I have met Dr. Hamman once, when he was on call for Dr. Gregory Matter, who did my MVR almost 4 years ago.

Will be compiling a list of questions to ask each. Would be interested in getting questions that valvers wish they had asked when meeting their surgeon pre-op.
BTW, I never saw my surgeon until I was in the hospital. Don't know if he saw me the day before surgery, or that morning.

 

[CathyK.]

Marsha - Can't think of any question that I didn't get answered before hand. I want to wish your husband luck and you both will be in my prayers!

 

[Karlynn]

Same for me! Good luck! I hope you feel a clear choice after his appointments.

 

[Adrienne]

Marsha, I haven't heard from my "valve penpal", Patti in a while and don't know if there is something wrong. I really wanted her to call you as she did with MaryC to let you know how much she liked Dr. Ryan. In any case, I wish your husband the best making his decision between surgeons.

 

[MaryC]

Marsha,
I think you already know how I feel about Dr Ryan. I am feeling stronger and better everyday. I hit the 4 week post surgery mark tomorrow. Because I am still working on getting my energy/stamina back to my normal level (hopefully I'll be even better! ) & still have occasional dizziness, I plan to not go back to work for a couple more weeks. This will give me time to start cardiac rehab.

I DO NOT want anyone to think I am downplaying the trauma of heart surgery when I say I did not experience what I consider pain from my heart surgery. I had c-sections with both of my children (& not the pretty bikini line ones! ) and on the 2nd one the pain medicine they were giving me was not helping with the pain AT ALL - to the point where I was doubled up in pain. I don't know if it was the port access procedure or some of the techniques the anesthesiologist used, but this surgery and the associated pain was nothing like that. Everything was manageable - even the issue I had where one of the medications was making me nauseous. The hospital staff worked quickly to find the right one. Of course everyone's experience is different and the missing piece is how long my valve repair lasts - but that will also be based on my specific heart condition and what it decides to do. I am just telling you what my experience has been so far.

I got to see the x-rays of my repaired valve yesterday and it's so strange to see that ring in my chest - but good to see it at the same time! By the way, I didin't find Dr Ryan favored 1 valve type over the other. I was interested in a tissue valve as my back up choice and was glad he would agree to go with my back up. My brother, who's 3 years older than me, met with a surgeon who said he would not put a tissue valve in someone of his age (48).

 

[catwoman]

Mary:

Good to read that your pain was manageable.
I had a hysterectomy in 1985 and I thought that was a piece of cake compared to the sternotomy.

I won't let John suffer anything like that, if I can help it. I have joked that I'm making this too easy for him, wanting to spare him of some of what I went through, and when I say that, I add, WINK WINK!
I've also joked that I want him back behind the lawnmower ASAP. (Actually, our next door neighbor has offered to take a ride through our 1-acre lot with his riding mower.

Will PM you on Wednesday.I do have Patty's e-mail address & will e-mail her.

 

[Jkm7]

I quite agree I had considerably more pain with my OHS than I did with two abdominal surgeries. The 'bikini' incision was more sore for longer than the vertical incision but the sternotomy was by far the most sore for longer of the three surgeries.

 

[catwoman]

Update --- Arrrrggghhh!

Update --- Arrrrggghhh!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
Apparently the scheduler gave me one date and meant another for the appointment with Barron Hamman.
I was told -- and repeated the information -- Monday, March 26 @ 1 p.m.
We were there at 12:30 p.m. and were told we were one day early. Nope, I wrote it on my desk calendar after I repeated the appt info.
Receptionist said, I'm sorry, but Dr. Hamman isn't here or I'd try to get him to see you. No, you can't leave the video & CD (of TEE & heart cath).

So, John & I hightailed it back to Fort Worth. (2 hours' sick time wasted!!!)

Then I got a call from Hamman's and Dr. Matter's (my surgeon) nurse. Before she could say anything, I told her we had already been to the office and were turned away. She fumed! She said that Dr. Hamman was in the office and could have seen us and that the receptionist should have taken John's tape & CD.
She was calling to ask us to see Dr. Matter instead of Hamman, since Matter did my surgery.
At that point, it didn't make any difference. She said they both do about the same # of repairs. Hamman can put in an On-X; Matter has yet to do so. (The back-up plan is a mechanical if a repair doesn't work.)

Stacie paged Dr. Matter and got us set up for a 3 p.m. consult today. I was able to determine that neither Matter nor Hamman like the port-access incision approach. She said it's more painful. (Huh??? More painful than a sternotomy.)

Oh, well. We'll see when we meet with Matter today.

 

[Karlynn]

How frustrating. I'm guessing the receptionist was in the dog house.

I think what has been reported here is that the port access is initially more painful, but doesn't last as long as the pain from a sternotomy.

Continue to keep us posted.

 

[ruth]

I was told by my surgeon that my right thorocotomy would initially be more painful than a sternotomy but not for as long. I have nothing to compare it to, seems to me everyone perceives and handles pain in their own unique way anyway. I was happy with my incision for cosmetic reasons and the pain was bearable. I still don't have all the feeling back on the right side of the chest/breast.

The thorocotomy that I got is a level more invasive than the heart port I think but does not cut through the sternum.

Best wishes,
Ruth

 

[MaryC]

Marsha,
The nurse in ICU told my family some people experience more pain with the port access than the surgery with the sternum so my family was worried about me until I was awake for a period of time and never complained about pain. I believe you had a visit with someone else who went through port access and her experience was the same as mine. The anestisiologist did a nerve block where the surgeon went in between the ribs and I had a pain pump on my right side....in addition to the morphine pump. Result was no pain.

 

[bvdr]

Like Ruth, I have numbness in my right chest since having had OHS via port access. I think numbness in the area of surgery is almost to be expected. I have numbness in my lip and part of my face since having surgery there a few years ago as well. The incision line on my chest is tender to the touch but if I understood it correctly, a rib had to be removed to allow better access and then wired back in so the tenderness may be from that rather than the port access itself. What I remember most about the discomfort after OHS surgery were the muscle spasms in my rib cage and being very short of breath. I've never had my sternum opened so I can't compare it to that but several years ago I had a hysterectomy and my ovaries removed and that was more painful. The OHS was the only surgery though that I've had that left me feeling so totally weak for several days.

What I appreciate now about having had port access is that there is not the scar tissue on my anterior chest to make a second surgery more difficult.

I don't think that either approach is so much superior to the other that one would be making the wrong decision regardless which route is chosen.

Marsha, I hope all goes well with your husband. I can't imagine going through this with Tom and hope I never do. But, that is where you find yourself and I hope everything you have gone through has been helpful. Is he doing OK emotionally with this? I haven't been on the boards much lately but have tried to keep up to some extent.

 

[Guest]

OH, Marsha ... very sorry for the frustrations .

Hope the appointment went well after all today.....

Thoughts/prayers coming to you and John.



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