Ross
Well-known member
I've decided to stay local this time around. I'm comfortable with the surgeon.
Hello Everyone
Here is the most recent update to my upcoming surgery.
After all the testing has been done, the CATSCAN reveals a couple of things not seen in any other tests.
Issue 1. There appears to be a sac of fluid or blood outside of the pericardium lodged between the heart and lung. It is unclear what this is, but it looks to be attached. At this point, it remains a mystery to be dealt with during surgery.
Issue 2. There appears to be another ascending aortic dissection higher then the original. The Doctor said that where this one is located, he would leave it alone, as trying to do anything with it would place me in real trouble.
Issue 3. The blood clot in the apex of the heart. The surgeon is going to try and go in with a small scope and take it out.
Surgery is a go. I have to be taken off the Coumadin for 10 days before surgery. This will allow my clotting factors to return to normal. The Doctor has scheduled me to see a General Surgeon next Thursday, May 9th, to see if he can coordinate and be there for the surgery also, so that they can repair my "Alien" Incisional hernia after the heart is taken care of. Surgical Pretesting is set for next Thursday also.
Given the timing now, It would be at least May 19th, at the very earliest. I'm going to request that this surgery be done shortly after June 7th. Lyn and I will have our 22nd wedding anniversary on the 7th and my youngest son, Chris, will graduate high school on the 7th. I see no need to disrupt these
events.Besides, it's only 3 weeks longer and given the high risk assessment of this surgery, I don't want to mess all this up.
I'm going to be the Surgeon's one and only surgery on surgery day. His pet peeve project. He is devoting the entire day to me only. He normally does 2 surgeries per day. The plan is to use the St.Jude Mechanical Aortic Valve, but I may have no choice and have to go with a Tissue valve, if things don't work out anatomically. There are a lot of "ifs and maybes" to this surgery. The problems are related to the previous aneurysm repair and make everything somewhat of a guessing game or wait and see.
Here is a link to the valve of choice for this replacement.
http://www.sjm.com/products/heartvalves/mechanical/aorticvalvedgraft.shtm
I'll let all of you know the exact date when I get it.
Ross
Hello Everyone
Here is the most recent update to my upcoming surgery.
After all the testing has been done, the CATSCAN reveals a couple of things not seen in any other tests.
Issue 1. There appears to be a sac of fluid or blood outside of the pericardium lodged between the heart and lung. It is unclear what this is, but it looks to be attached. At this point, it remains a mystery to be dealt with during surgery.
Issue 2. There appears to be another ascending aortic dissection higher then the original. The Doctor said that where this one is located, he would leave it alone, as trying to do anything with it would place me in real trouble.
Issue 3. The blood clot in the apex of the heart. The surgeon is going to try and go in with a small scope and take it out.
Surgery is a go. I have to be taken off the Coumadin for 10 days before surgery. This will allow my clotting factors to return to normal. The Doctor has scheduled me to see a General Surgeon next Thursday, May 9th, to see if he can coordinate and be there for the surgery also, so that they can repair my "Alien" Incisional hernia after the heart is taken care of. Surgical Pretesting is set for next Thursday also.
Given the timing now, It would be at least May 19th, at the very earliest. I'm going to request that this surgery be done shortly after June 7th. Lyn and I will have our 22nd wedding anniversary on the 7th and my youngest son, Chris, will graduate high school on the 7th. I see no need to disrupt these
events.Besides, it's only 3 weeks longer and given the high risk assessment of this surgery, I don't want to mess all this up.
I'm going to be the Surgeon's one and only surgery on surgery day. His pet peeve project. He is devoting the entire day to me only. He normally does 2 surgeries per day. The plan is to use the St.Jude Mechanical Aortic Valve, but I may have no choice and have to go with a Tissue valve, if things don't work out anatomically. There are a lot of "ifs and maybes" to this surgery. The problems are related to the previous aneurysm repair and make everything somewhat of a guessing game or wait and see.
Here is a link to the valve of choice for this replacement.
http://www.sjm.com/products/heartvalves/mechanical/aorticvalvedgraft.shtm
I'll let all of you know the exact date when I get it.
Ross
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