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Hi. After an absence of several months, I briefly return to report on my AVR and my experience with rigid sternal fixation. Regarding the latter, please note that my conclusions are solely my own, and are completely anecdotal. My surgery went surprisingly well, and took only three hours to...

Sorry, but that's what it looks like to me. You have, I believe, mentioned bacterial infection growth along sternal wires.

Considering your personal experience with sternal dehiscence due to wire cerclage, this argument against sternal fixation is pretty weak tea. In my case, I'm not eager to endure the restrictions, precautions, inconvenience, and time to heal associated with a dated closure technique. After all...

(Don't ask me how all that got struck out. It just posted that way.) :eek:

I would strenuously disagree that "basically nobody else use it." My reading suggests it's in fairly wide use in the US, and that it's been well-evaluated with postive results. As a retired professor with university library privileges, I use Health Source Academic, ProQuest Allied Health...

I'm just 10 days from my AVR surgery, after it got rescheduled from Feb. 7. During my pre-procedure consult with my surgeon (Dr. Keith Allen, St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City), I asked if he could close my sternum with the Sternaloc Blu rigid fixation system. I knew he was PI for this, and of...

Thanks for the helpful info. Actually, I'm already on Simvastatin (20mg) for slightly higher-than-normal LDL. I'll definitely inquire about PCSK9-inhibitors. I also appreciate the articles. In that vein, I wonder if you've seen/read the following:

As Denjun recently posted, "my time has come." I've returned from St. Luke's in Kansas City, where I met with my surgeon and one of his structural cardiology colleagues (same guy who did my cardiac cath). Both are extremely knowledgeable and garrulous. (For me, a retired professor, their...

Thanks, pellicle. Tomorrow I get scanned to determine the size of my heart's annulus and other measurements. That'll determine which procedural route(s) will be offered. Re: the dental thing, over 20 years and more than a few dentists in different states/cities, I have yet to find one who'll...

The prospect of valve failure is a major concern for me at the moment. Today I head back to St. Luke's for a CT scan, followed by a consult with the surgeon, at which time the valve replacement options and a surgery date will be discussed. My age (67) places me in a "grey zone" between...

I'll respond to pellicle and Chuck C at the same time. No nerve damage, and every incident (some more than others) hurts like hell. One of these sent me to ER for a damn stitch on my tongue. I've spoken to multiple dentists about this without resolution. My own causative theory starts with two...

Okay, as I await valve replacement surgery (probably by the end of the month), let me query this. Because of previous dental surgeries, I now have a tendency to bite the hell out of my tongue or lower lip, which inevitably draws blood, and which also occasionally takes some time to stop. I'll...

Thanks, pellicle, for this information. I do have the ACC/AHA Guidelines you reference, so I'll revisit that in more detail. I'm almost 68, so my decision involves trying to differentiate the limitations of valve types, and the risks of present and future surgery, with life expectancy--which...

Yep, that's the technique, and if Allen recommends TAVR (which I believe he will) he'll probably throw this option in there. You'll note that this procedure requires high pressure to fracture the ring, which adds a lovely element of risk, nicht wahr? Anyway, I'm scheduled for a cardiac cath...

Thank you for this reference! I've located several relevant articles in the academic press, but I didn't see this one. Appreciate!

Just to change the present topic. . . . I'm also debating valve selection, while hoping my surgeon and I can agree on which path is best for me. At my most recent visit, Dr. Keith Allen (St. Luke's Medical Center, Kansas City) suggested TAVR. He's done a lot of them, but I'm "only" 67 and don't...

Ahhhhh, good one, Pellicle. Very well done.

Howdy all. . . . Two years ago I asked for some help in locating a good spot for surgical intervention for my aortic aneurysm/aortic insufficiency. My remote location has made this selection difficult, but I recently sought expert opinion at St. Luke's Cardiovascular Consultants in Kansas City...

Thanks everyone, for your helpful replies. I've consulted with my local cardiologist. He agrees that my divergent scan results are concerning, and agrees that should get re-examined by a cardiology team with better resources than are available here. A third opinion in this case is warranted. So...

Sooooo, it's been nearly two years since I last posted here, asking for advice about my aortic aneurysm/aortic insufficiency. Since then I've moved out to western Kansas and have found a competent cardiologist. I've also had two CT scans. Your input about that is requested. I'm evidently not...