After a week of waiting, I finally had my cardiologist appointment to discuss the 3 month echocardiogram results. The really good news is that both valves have only trace leakage, no more than what is expected. The bad news is that the EF has not improved at all since the 3 week echo. It's still the same at 41% (calculated), and the LV size is the same, just slightly above normal, but much improved since before surgery. This despite me having exercised almost every day. Well, that part makes sense, since my cardio says LV function does not really improve much with exercise, and is likely to stay at the same reduced level. Exercise capacity has improved in that period, due to other factors improving, for instance red blood cell count. It hasn't improved too much recently though, and I still have not even caught up to where I was right before surgery, and very far away from where I was a year before surgery. So I am disappointed about that part, and really wish I had been advised to have surgery as soon as I was diagnosed. Maybe my LV function would not have been as reduced now.
I have increased Carvedilol to 25mg x 2, since that could potentially improve LV function somewhat more over time. Another suggestion made by the cardiologist is a pacemaker to bypass a Left Bundle Branch Block problem (cardiac resynchronization pacing). It may increase the heart's efficiency.
Karl.
I have increased Carvedilol to 25mg x 2, since that could potentially improve LV function somewhat more over time. Another suggestion made by the cardiologist is a pacemaker to bypass a Left Bundle Branch Block problem (cardiac resynchronization pacing). It may increase the heart's efficiency.
Karl.