I had my mitral valve repair in Feb 2007 so my repair has held up 13 years. I had found a surgeon in DFW who was known for doing port access or minimally invasive heart valve surgery, Dr William Ryan. Dr Ryan told me there it was unknown how long a repair would last but his experience was he...
I checked with my cardiologist last year when I kept getting pushback from my dentist. He still wants me taking 2000 mg before dental procedures including cleanings.
My brother and sister-in-law both received bovine tissue mitral valves in 2006 and both were overall happy with their choices. The maze procedure was performed on both of them during their heart valve surgeries which was supposed to help with keeping the heart in rhythm. Both ended up having...
My brother has a tissue mitral valve and it looks like he will soon be needing a replacement. I have a repaired mitral valve and figure I will also need another surgery in the future. A few years ago lots of members of this forum were getting the On-X mitral valve which had a new design and...
Ray,
I agree with Steve. This is an important conversation to have with the anesthesiologist before your surgery. I asked my anestesiologist if he had ever had a patient more afraid of the waking up with the ventilator than the surgery itself. I asked him if he could give me versed to ensure...
Randy,
Once I scheduled my surgery I remember feeling like I was just in a dream state. It's scary to have surgery but the medical field has come so far it helped me knowing that going into my surgery. Good luck on your upcoming surgery.
This sounds similar to what happened to my sister several years ago. She began having issues around a year after her surgery. We thought she was going to have to have a new valve implanted but they discovered during the surgery that they needed to have the original stitches tightened up. It's...
Now that I am 4 years out I wish I had written a diary during my 1st year after surgery. What I remember about the months following my surgery is having a lightheadedness for a long time everytime I stood upright. I had other issues such as a-flutter and developed pleurisy around 6 months post...
When the time came for me to have surgery I sought out a doctor speciaizing in minimially invasive mitral valve surgery. At the time a doctor told me he didn't recommend this approach because it limited the doctor's view and access during surgery. I found my doctor who performed a port access...
Jen,
Congratulations on your successful surgery! Stairs have always been a challenge for me - both before and after my surgery. I had a mitral valve repair in 2007 and even though it is easier to go up stairs, I still feel like I shouldn't struggle since I am in a regular bike rider and...