Valvuloplasty

[pcannon]

Hello all,

I'm new to this forum but have read alot of your posts and even posted twice myself.

I'm scheduled to have a valvuloplasty 29 Aug for my mitral stenosis. Apparently I had rheumatic fever as a child and didn't know it.

Has anyone else had this procedure done? What should I expect? Will I be able to get back to work on the 4th of Sept?

Thank you for all your help.

Peggy

 

[Curtsmum]

Hi Peggy,
my son has not had this done, so i'm not experienced but i think it is on the lines of a cardiac cath using a balloon, so i would guess that it could be treated like a cath and is possible you may be able to return to work in a few days but i could be wrong, i'm sure somebody else will know more. Paula

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Peggy,

There has been some discussion of this procedure but not many have had it. I think Betty (BVDR) knows a fair amount about that procedure.

Do a SEARCH for "Valvuloplasty", click on ADVANCED, scroll down the options page, look for the section dealing with dates and select "From the begining" or some such wording.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[pcannon]

Thank you all for the response.

I know this procedure is only a temporary fix and I will still need the valve replaced in the future. I'm in the military and I was told I can't be on blood thinners. I suppose the army frowns on that. I can get a medical retirement but wish not to. I'm only 43..

I've had a cath done prior and didn't feel anything but I'm worried about this. I guess maybe because it's a different hospital. I'm going to the Univ of Penn for this.

Anyway, thank you for letting me complain.

Thank you all,

Peggy

 

[Lynlw]

Thank you all for the response.

I know this procedure is only a temporary fix and I will still need the valve replaced in the future. I'm in the military and I was told I can't be on blood thinners. I suppose the army frowns on that. I can get a medical retirement but wish not to. I'm only 43..

I've had a cath done prior and didn't feel anything but I'm worried about this. I guess maybe because it's a different hospital. I'm going to the Univ of Penn for this.

Anyway, thank you for letting me complain.

Thank you all,

Peggy

Hi, Justin had his vulvulapsty when he was just 3 days old so I can't tell you how long the recovery would be, I imagine it is about the same as most interventional caths, , with the main roblems being sore around the groin area for a couple days.
U of P is a really good hospital for hearts, Justin is 19 and has his surgeries next door at CHOP, but alot of his doctors (heart and other) are on staff at Uof P and has had consults from both places, they really know their stuff. Have you been there yet? When Justin was in CHOP the last time, I went to check out the gift shop at HUP and I knew it was "nice' but was surpirsed how nice, I felt like I was walking in a 5 star hotel lol.

 

[pcannon]

Hello lynlw,

I've only been there to see my surgeon last week. I didn't really check out the hospital, I guess I should have.

My cath and TOE was done at Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia which is part of Univ of Penn. I have to admit I had wonderful care there. I can only hope my care at the Univ of Penn Hospital is just as good.

Thank You

 

[bvdr]

Hi Peggy and welcome to the forum. Here is a link to a nice synopsis on mitral valvoplasty. http://www.upmc.com/HealthManagement/ManagingYourHealth/HealthReference/Procedures/?chunkiid=102956

I didn't have the procedure myself but like you I found out that I had had rheumatic fever though it was never diagnosed. I have read that up to 40% of patients diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease never knew they had rheumatic fever. Several of us on this board are in that 40%.

My cardiac showed the valve problems including mitral stenosis and also a couple of problem areas in my cardiac arteries that were in places where stents could not be placed. A procedure called cutting balloon angioplasty could be used to open up these tight spots. I asked about having a balloon valvoplasty done at the same time to open up the mitral valve. I went up to Duke and was referred to an invasive cardiologist that could do both procedures. He did some tests and told me I had too much aortic regurgitation to have the mitral valvoplasty done. He said it usually worsened whatever aortic regurgitation at least one catagory. He felt it would leave me with severe regurgitation and the time had really come to just replace the mitral valve. Both the surgeon and the invasive cardiologist felt sure that the chest pain originated from valve problems rather than vessel problems. So that is what I did. I have a St. Jude mitral valve and am happy with that choice.

As you probably have found out, many surgeons won't consider trying to repair a rheumatic valve since the area is too damaged. Valvoplasty usually works great on the mitral valve and some people have it done 2 or 3 times over many years and get along just fine. The recovery is slightly longer than for a cath. I was told that if I had both the cutting balloon angioplasty and mitral valvoplasty then I might be in the hospital 1 or possibly 2 nights. I would think you could be back to work by Sept. 4th unless you had some complications which don't happen very often.

Again welcome to this forum. I hope you stay around. I am so thankful for all of you in the military and hate to think where we would be without you. Thank you so much for your service.