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I agree, you should ask Dr. Svensson why he wants a brain scan (not that you wouldn't do it, but to know if he suspects any problems or if it's just routine). Funny, I also had surgery at Cleveland Clinic (Dr. Lytle, 5 months ago) and they didn't mention followup at all. I'm being tracked by a...

Wow, sorry to hear that this is happening to you guys. I had both my mitral and aortic valves replaced 5 months ago. There's not too much difference between a double and a single replacement. The only differences I was told about: 1. The operation takes longer, so family will have to wait a...

Your previous cardiologist wasn't Brian Griffin, by any chance? He's from Ireland and he was my cardiologist when undergoing surgery at CC. He was a great guy and I'll be sorry to hear that he left. I also got a kick out of him having the same name as the beloved Family Guy character.

I have twin girls who were three years old when I had my OHS (five months ago). They're the cuties on my lap in the picture above. We elected to tell them fairly early (maybe a month before) and start preparing them both for the time I would be in the hospital and especially the time when I...

I think Lionheart nailed it in terms of suggestions. I too travelled to CC (from Seattle) for my surgery. After discharge, I stayed another two nights in one of the hotels right by the hospital. I have to tell you, in my case it would have been extremely difficult for me to fly home alone in my...

When I told my anticoagulation counselor that I was starting a multivitamin, she actually suggested that I take one which contains vitamin K. She said that having a consistent amount of vitamin K from the multivitamin blunts the swings from variations in diet, which makes sense. Of course...

I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease in 1980, as a junior in high school. I was treated with radiation therapy to the neck and chest. I had a recurrence in 1982 (freshman in college) and was treated with chemo (MOPP). Like most of us, the radiation lead to damaged aortic and mitral valves...

I would agree with the other posters that this is a common situation. The current imaging methods just aren't accurate enough for a definitive diagnosis, that's why you'd want to pick the best surgeon you can find and let them make choices when they're in surgery. I'd been told for years that...

So, forgive the newbie question, but is a medical alert bracelet necessary for valve replacement? I have mechanical AV and MV (and take warfarin, of course) but would this information be crucial in an emergency situation? How would it affect my treatment? I mean, they are still going to start...

Mine is around 72-77 at total rest. When walking or working or whatever, it's in the 80's. This is about 20 points lower than before surgery, and to date is my only tangible improvement from the surgery (which was almost 3 months ago). I am not on beta blockers or anything else that is supposed...

Welcome, Doug, you'll find VR.com to be an incredible resource. It's one of the things I am grateful for this Thanksgiving! I too am a Hodgkin's survivor, and if you've done any searching you know there are probably a dozen of us here. I would want to second Al's adivce: let everybody know...

Hi Johnny, Welcome to the site, and sorry to hear about your need for a second OHS. Hope everything goes well. I'm curious, how did you or your doctor discover you'd 'sprung a leak?' Were you experiencing any symptoms, or did it show up on an echo or some other test?

I didn't have hot flashes or fevers, and I certainly didn't have anything oozing from incisions, but I did have night sweats. They were extreme enough that I could literally wring the sweat from the sheets in the morning. But they did go away within 3-4 weeks. I dunno, but if anything were...

Hi Christine, I am 46 years old and had two mechanical valves put in about 3.5 months ago. While I don't think anybody calls me athletic, I do like to keep active and hope to return to running soon. I also chose mechanical because I did not want another operation (and recovery) looming in my...

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I did meet with my cardiologist yesterday. She said to keep exercising for another month and see if things improve. If not, then she'll suggest a pacemaker.

I was on Metrpolol for a few months prior to my surgery (MVR and AVR). The only real side effect I experienced was some dizziness and some lightheadedness when standing up. Like others mentioned, I also experienced vivid dreams while on it. I kinda miss that part. :) They took me off it for...

Hello All, I'm hoping somebody else has experienced this or knows something about it. I'm a 46yo male, 3 months post-surgery for AVR and MVR. I started cardiac rehab a couple weeks ago, after a relatively sedentary period (recovering from surgery, getting rid of a-fib, fluid in lungs, etc.)...

I was started on Amio 2 weeks after surgery when they discovered I was in a-fib. I was taking a morning dose and an afternoon dose. Within a week or two I was back in normal rhythm. My cardio cut the dose to one per day for another month or so, and I've been off it completely for almost a month...

My provider's total cost for replacing two valves was just short of $200k. I have no idea what percentage my health insurance (Blue Cross) actually paid, but it seems to have been enough. There was no cost to me (I'd burned through my deductible already).

Hello Mac, I too had Hodgkin's Disease and had radiation therapy (in 1980). I had both my mitral and aortic valves replaced three months ago. My surgeon (Dr. Bruce Lytle at Cleveland Clinic, who is known as something of an expert on radiation-damaged hearts) also advised me to have mechanical...