TakeStock
Well-known member
After talking with my surgeons and my cardiologist, the MV repair surgery is back on. It?s now scheduled for March 31 at Bethesda North hospital in Cincinnati. Dr. Hiratzka, the second surgeon I talked to, will have the honors. Both surgeons I talked to give the repair a 75%, and in fact my first surgeon who originally just wanted to do a replacement now thinks a repair is the way to go.
As you might recall from my previous postings, the angio and TEE showed improvement in my MV regurg after the endo vegetation left. But in my case, because the valve damage is structural from the subacute endo, not from long-term chronic deterioration, it isn?t going to get any better and there?s no way to reduce the dilations with medications. Although I have some time, we don?t know how quickly the heart will enlarge since there?s no history. And since my father has had a-fib since his 30?s, it?s best not to take a chance waiting. Also, there?s some risk of re-infection if I wait.
I learned something interesting about my case. I have a tear in a chordae and likely a small perforation in the exterior of the leaflet, away from the chordae. These appear to be two separate incidents where the chordae first became damaged, allowing the strep infection to later get into the valve and grow on the leaflet. It?s a mystery how the chordae became damaged but it must have happened shortly before the endocarditis because it would have caused a heart murmur and I didn?t have one 5 months before the endo. The strep infection for the endo came from my mouth bacteria, although I didn?t have any dental procedures during this time ? it must have been from brushing or flossing. The chordae can become torn from a heart attack or trauma, and the doctors could find no evidence of either occurring. I do remember having several weird cases of palpitations several weeks before the endocarditis fever hit, although at the time I didn?t think it worth getting checked out.
Regardless of what caused either event, these things are rare, and both together, back-to-back? well, apparently I was destined to have this surgery.
I?m thankful at least that the overall damage is minimal and my heart should be back to 100% with this repair.
As you might recall from my previous postings, the angio and TEE showed improvement in my MV regurg after the endo vegetation left. But in my case, because the valve damage is structural from the subacute endo, not from long-term chronic deterioration, it isn?t going to get any better and there?s no way to reduce the dilations with medications. Although I have some time, we don?t know how quickly the heart will enlarge since there?s no history. And since my father has had a-fib since his 30?s, it?s best not to take a chance waiting. Also, there?s some risk of re-infection if I wait.
I learned something interesting about my case. I have a tear in a chordae and likely a small perforation in the exterior of the leaflet, away from the chordae. These appear to be two separate incidents where the chordae first became damaged, allowing the strep infection to later get into the valve and grow on the leaflet. It?s a mystery how the chordae became damaged but it must have happened shortly before the endocarditis because it would have caused a heart murmur and I didn?t have one 5 months before the endo. The strep infection for the endo came from my mouth bacteria, although I didn?t have any dental procedures during this time ? it must have been from brushing or flossing. The chordae can become torn from a heart attack or trauma, and the doctors could find no evidence of either occurring. I do remember having several weird cases of palpitations several weeks before the endocarditis fever hit, although at the time I didn?t think it worth getting checked out.
Regardless of what caused either event, these things are rare, and both together, back-to-back? well, apparently I was destined to have this surgery.
I?m thankful at least that the overall damage is minimal and my heart should be back to 100% with this repair.
