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  1. T

    3-year-old thriving with world's smallest mechanical heart valve

    I haven't been on here in ages, but this community was (and still is!) very special to me when I went through AVR. I still pop by occasionally and look for info, or read some threads. Anyways, I saw this article today and thought I would share....amazing what they are doing with valves...
  2. T

    Missed a dose - what to do?

    Thanks - I got the dose in, and managed to keep my INR steady...need to get one of the daily pill boxes so that I don't forget! Tony
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    Missed a dose - what to do?

    Damn. I woke up this morning and realize I forgot to take my warfarin. What's even more bizarre, I even tested last night (INR = 2.1 so it's lower) then got sidetracked and completely forgot to take it!!....and now I get I a plane for an all day flight. What would you do? Pop some pills this...
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    Those with aortic regurgitation

    MethodAir - yeah, a bit strange that it came down, but there may be an explanation - and it has been an extremely slow process. Also, echoes are not very exact so there may be some variance from tech to tech. However, I was told that after about 12-18 mo the LV size will probably be as low as...
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    Those with aortic regurgitation

    You don't say anything about your age or condition etc, but many people here have had regurg. including myself. With rergurg, too much blood is basically going the wrong way! I was diagnosed as "moderate to severe" and had a moderately enlarged left ventricle @ 66mm (>72mm is severe and a...
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    The likelihood of a stroke in AVR patients vs. the regular population...?

    I was thinking that being on warfarin played a role in helping to reduce the likelihood of clots forming vs. dissolving them. T
  7. T

    The likelihood of a stroke in AVR patients vs. the regular population...?

    When I made the original post, I wasn't very clear, but I was referring mainly to Ischemic strokes (clots)...I would expect internal bleeding / haemorrhagic would certainly be higher or pose greater risk in AC patients.
  8. T

    The likelihood of a stroke in AVR patients vs. the regular population...?

    I agree with you Dick. I have to believe that the likelihood of a stroke, when ACT is managed correctly and very proactively, is perhaps lower in mechanical valvers. We're running at a higher INR than would normally be the case in a healthy individual with no heart problems and no ACT....
  9. T

    The likelihood of a stroke in AVR patients vs. the regular population...?

    A couple days ago we had a tragic event occur in our office where I work. A woman (around age 50) had what turned out to be a fatal stoke. Found unconscious, (probably had been so for about 10 min), rushed to emergency, remained in a coma for 1 week in ICU, and very sadly passed away the other...
  10. T

    Length of time between diagnosis and AVR

    Diagnosed in mid-Jan/13; I had AVR Oct. 1/13 at age 47 (viewed as "moderate to severe" with dilation of LV). I waited about 8.5 months, mostly due to just having to grind my way through the system and wait my turn behind other more critical patients. You couldn't get me in fast enough...the...
  11. T

    Now the nerves are really starting...

    The build up is worse than anything....the first couple weeks of recovery suck and are mainly about pain management and comfort, but at that point the worst should be behind you. Hang in there and don't sweat it too much. These guys do this every day - it's just another day in the office. Tony
  12. T

    Going under Anesthesia...what's it like?

    They made me very comfortable for it. Saw the surgeon and head anesthesiologist in advance and talked with them. Super great guys (surgeon had a reputation as one of the best around, which he is). Joked that he had been out late the night before and was hung over!!! :-) I joked that I had better...
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    Normal ef function befor AVR now severely low ef function after AVR

    Sorry you are having such troubles. I would be stressed too. I would not worry about the low/mild regurg on the tricuspid very much. Loads of people have this (including me). My cardiologist said alot of people can have this and it stays like that forever. Get another echo. Strange to have such...
  14. T

    3 years today!!!!

    Congrats! Glad you are doing well. I recall reading your posts and going through this around the same time as you. I'm hitting 3 yrs on Oct. 1. Tony
  15. T

    Normal ef function befor AVR now severely low ef function after AVR

    I was at 60% and dropped to 50% and occasionally 55% after AVR. I stayed there for about 18-24 months (usually 55%). I just had an echo and was back up to 60%. There are different ways to test your EF - one is a visual estimation; and one is more quantitative (modified Simpson method). There are...
  16. T

    How Soon After OHS Can One Typically & Safely Travel Out Of The Country?

    One other consideration - make sure you can get medical coverage - I am in Canada, but there were stipulations about how soon after surgery I could travel (I think it was 3 months) before my coverage provider said I could go anywhere. Tony
  17. T

    Shaving before surgery

    I'd shave nothing if I were you.....I went in as is. I didn't even shave my face. In my pre op they told me they would handle any shaving. When I awoke after surgery (they shaved me after I was unconscious in the OR), all they shaved was about a 5" wide strip all the way down the middle of my...
  18. T

    Shaving before surgery

    I'd shave nothing if I were you.....I went in as is. I didn't even shave my face. In my pre op they told me they would handle any shaving. When I awoke after surgery (they shaved me after I was unconscious in the OR), all they shaved was about a 5" wide strip all the way down the middle of my...
  19. T

    How bad is the pain? Set to have surgery in 12 days.

    Mday849 - to answer your question - I'm quite happy with my On-X valve. If I had to do it all over again I would choose the same one, no question. I'm sure all of the others are fine (and there's lots of other threads on all of that), but I researched On-X and was very comfortable with it. Tony
  20. T

    How bad is the pain? Set to have surgery in 12 days.

    I wouldn't obsess over the pain by any means. It sucks for a few days to a week or two (everyone's experience can be a bit different) and slowly gets better over the next 2 months. I just told myself to suck it up, tough it out, and that it would get better - and it did. They broke a couple ribs...
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