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Is the MRI the one where you have a contrast liquid put in you, or is that the CT scan? I know that the contrast one uses radiation so docs usually don't like to do that every year. I'd be curious to see what an MRI would show for me in terms of EF. But i imagine the test would tear through...

This is what is frustrating me. Mine has stayed the same after surgery and has now dropped a little bit. With the valve performing now, I can't figure out why my EF won't go up.

I spoke with my cardiologist and he said that exercise can definitely strengthen the heart and thus lead to a higher EF. I don't know where you read that an EF of 52 is in the heart failure range but I don't believe that's true. From what i've read it has to be well below 40 before that...

So I finally got my (fifth annual) echo results back today. The doctor told me that my mitral valve is leaking more than it did and that my overall heart function has weakened "a hair" in his words. Of course he left a voicemail and I haven't been able to get back in touch with the office...

I'm 32 and you're kicking my ass! Quite an inspiration, congrats.

Hi Midpack, You have described myself perfectly. I am five years out from having my mitral valve repaired (also due to prolapse). This time of year for me is always really hard because I know my annual echo is coming up. Every year I go in and know full well that I may get some bad news...

Congrats! That is quite the endorsement :)

I'm not really active on this forum anymore, but I will never forget the advice and support I received here when I had my surgery at 27 years of age. My annual echo is in mid-July and I always get nervous and anxious this time of year. However, I am truly grateful that my surgery went well and...

Good to see i'm not the only one :) I know they mean no harm, but it really pours salt on an open wound. It makes it seem as if they are assuming I had something to do with my condition.

So I am 31 now, had my mitral valve repaired when I was 27. I went in for a CT scan today so they could have a look at my aorta and it happened again. The woman doing the scan remarks, "you're way too young to be dealing with this kinda stuff". It brought back a wave of memories from four...

Soo... I talked to the doctor again to get a clearer picture of things. My aorta is dilated but there isn't an aneurysm. My aortic valve is fine. He wants to do the ct scan to see why it is getting bigger. In the mean time he gave me some samples of bystolic to take, but since my blood...

Hi Lyn, I don't have any reports or actual numbers. I know I should probably be more proactive about that. I'm probably going to wait until we see what the results of my CT scan are. I do get my echo done at the same place every year, but there are usually different techs. The cardio said...

Thanks UWMike, this does help a lot. The weird thing is that I don't have any issues with my aortic valve. I've only had to deal with my mitral valve, and the aorta thing is apparently completely unrelated. I just find it odd that I have none of the risk markers for developing an enlarged...

Hello everyone, I used to frequent this site quite often, but have faded away in recent years. I had my mitral valve repaired four years ago and have since been getting it checked every year with an echocardiogram. Well, the valve is doing fine but my cardio is now noticing that my aorta is...

i just turned 30. am i still eligible??

Hi delcar, Do you know exactly what caused your valve to leak in the first place? From what i've read it would seem that diseased valves and tissue usually have trouble being or staying repaired. However, if it is just a structural problem (something came loose..) then i would think they...

For anyone interested, I received confirmation from my surgeon's office that you aren't on any more post-op anticoagulants than you are with traditional surgery. At least with them.

That is true. Cardiologists can be bad about this too. If i had listened to the cardiologist who discovered my severe leakage, i could very well have a mechanical valve and a huge chest scar right now. I guess the take away is that you need to take charge of your own healthcare decisions and...

I also haven't noticed a "bias" per se or any negative comments toward those who have had the robotic surgery. At least not directed toward myself. The only thing i've noticed mainly is a lot of misinformation out there that could potentially scare a future heart surgery patient from...

I'm just going by what my surgeon told me and my family post op. They said it is the same exact surgery, so i don't see why robotic hands performing it would allocate more blood thinning meds. The robot actualy provides more precision and dexterity. It's been almost three years, so if i have...