Recent content by VegasBAV

What are they using instead? I got the St. Jude Trifecta valve there 20 months ago.

My Cleveland clinic doctor told me there would be a small chance of a repair but I would probably need a replacement. I got a replacement. Discuss your preferences for a replacement valve with them and then rest comfortably that they are going to do what's best for you. I wouldn't be demanding...

My AVR surgery was in November 2012. In October 2013 I did a two week hiking trip in Bhutan that included hiking up to about 16,400 feet. I'm doing another similar hiking trip in Pakistan starting next month.

Here's some "Snowman Trek" info and a cool video about it if anyone is interested. It's a actually a month long trip if you do the full route; I wasn't that ambitious and only signed up for the first half. http://himalayanexpeditions.com/wp/trips/snowman-trek/ I'd like to do a 3 week hiking...

My recollection is that trying to do push ups hurt for at least 6-9 months.

I'm a coach potato, but 10.5 months after my surgery I did a two week hike in Bhutan on the "Snowman Trek." I did some training before hand but found it pretty challenging. This summer I might do a 2 week trek in Pakistan, not sure.

We had one just this week, I think there have been others too. http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?42797-Wish-I-would-have-choose-tissue-valve-instead-of-mechanical http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-1549.html Some people have a rough time with the...

I asked this question about six months back and got some very good responses here: http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?42217-Tissue-valve-deterioration-signs-symptoms-etc

I could be wrong, but I don't think the Cleveland Clinic guidelines would be to use mechanical valves until a patient's 50's. I thought the recommended age cutoff had been lowered to 40 or 45. Page 30 of this report says that in 2011, Cleveland Clinic used tissue valves in 92.7% of valve...

I was in Cleveland for two days after I was released. My heart rate was a little high when I left the hospital so they gave me a prescription for some Metoprolol, as well as painkillers and Lasix. I took the hotel shuttle to the nearby pharmacy to fill those. The nurse practitioner gave me...

I was back to work at a desk job in 2-3 weeks, part time. Then full time after about 4 weeks I think. My surgery was at the end of November, so I more or less took it easy through the end of the year, but I would normally do that anyway. Use this as an excuse to cut out of work early whenever...

Glad he is better. With a bicuspid valve, he's at a higher risk of endocarditis than most people, and after he has his valve replaced, he will still be at a risk of endocarditis. You may want to read up on it anyway and make sure he understands that if he ever gets sick with fever he should get...

He's 24 and he's thinking of seeing his daughter's doctor? He's got a bicuspid valve and symptoms and he can't see a cardiologist? This doesn't say much about the state of medicine in Indiana.

A simple blood test will show if his white blood cell count is elevated, which will indicate infection. Blood cultures will show if he has a bacterial infection (bacteria in blood). When I had subacute endocarditis, I just had malaise and loss of appetite and a recurring fever. I would go to...

Lost of appetite and malaise/lethargy are symptoms of bacterial endocarditis, and people with bicuspid valves are susceptible to endocarditis. I know this because I had it. The primary symptom though is fever. If he ever gets a fever, don't assume it's the flu, don't wait 3-4 days to see if...