Anyone Elect Surgery Where Surgeon(s) Were Saying Wait?

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cbdheartman

Well-known member
Joined
May 4, 2009
Messages
180
Location
Silver Spring, MD, USA.
I was wondering if anyone here elected to have surgery where you were in the "gray zone" like I am. Many of you have been so kind and most have been saying, "Why would you wait?" which is where I am leaning, but I am wondering if anyone here was a millimeter or two short of the magic number and still went for it?

(Incidentally, did you have any trouble with insurance if you did.)
 
My cardiologist initially suggested that I wait, but I had been waiting for 22 years. I have mitral insufficiency not an aneurysm, and in those days, the thinking was to wait until you were 95% dead before surgery. However, I convinced him that I was ready and he did the cath, which quickly made up his mind. Since the surgeon had the benefit of the lousy cath, he knew I was ready. Times have changed and most cardiologists and surgeons suggest sooner rather than later. The question is why your surgeon is saying wait. Have you found that out yet?

Insurance shouldn't be a problem. You have a diagnosis and a treatment; that's generally all it takes. I doubt the surgeon would tell the insurance company that he advised you to wait. Either way, heart surgery is considered elective in most cases. Of course, if you wait for your aneurysm to burst, it wouldn't be!
 
An experienced surgeon will have good reasons for recommending surgery in your case or advising you to wait and monitor. I think I recall reading one of your posts that said the surgeon advised waiting but would not object to surgery sooner than later to give you peace of mind. Your decision is not an easy one, and especially at your relatively young age.
 
At least one responder to one of your other threads stated that her husband went ahead and has his aorta fixed instead of waiting. It seemed like they changed surgeons to do that but I'm not 100% sure. She did say that she felt if they had waited, she was worried that her husband would not have survived.

Over the years, I KNOW that we have some members who reported that their Valve (or Aorta) literally "crumbled" in the surgeon's hands, usually with a comment to the effect that the Valve / Aorta was in Much Worse Condition than pre-surgery tests seemed to indicate. This is probably a Low Percentage BUT it is NON-ZERO and what if YOU are the One in a Whatever who 'lost the lottery'?

You KNOW that you will need surgery "someday".
Ask the Surgeons you interview this Question:
"What is the Benefit of Waiting for a condition that can only be fixed by Surgery?"

'AL Capshaw'
 
I equate this like walking in a mine field. Which step is the one that makes you go BOOM?
 
I am currently in the "gray zone", I think. In fact, MRI this afternoon to determine where I'm at. Mine was last measured at 4.6 last year. I'm going crazy with the wondering, and at this point will gladly elect for surgery to hopefully return my life to something other than me being a nervous wreck wondering if and when the thing is going to rupture.
 
I mentioned in another of your posts that I got a lot of conflicting opinions. My aorta was at 4.4 cm, soooooo close to where many would recommend surgery. My valve was an equally grey area. One doctor told me I needed surgery in the next few weeks. Another doctor told me I could wait 20 years if I wanted to. I opted to go ahead with the surgery so that I could get pregnant someday (I know that's not a concern for you) and also for my own peace of mind.

I am so glad I did it! My recovery has been so much smoother and easier than I anticipated. My surgery was 5 weeks ago and I'm doing great. I still have a lot of limitations, but I feel like I have so much more energy than I have in a very long time.
 
The medical profession uses a risk to benefit ratio for when to recommend surgery. If there are other medical problems that could affect the outcome, that changes the ratio.

Do you think there are other medical problems that would cause them to want to wait on your surgery?

Joe always told me, "Surgeons like to cut, Nancy, that's how they make money"

The other thing to remember is that you told us that your surgeon did say that he would operate sooner, if you wished that.
 
I was told for 5 years I was to young to get a hip replacement to wait. I did now I have a hip that could give way at any time and I need heart surgery. The surgeon I have chosen has said I can and should have surgery now. The VA once again is saying there is no hurry. I will have the heart surgery with or without the VA. If they do not approve the paperwork within a week I will schedule it on my own and sue them for the out of pocket money. I do have sever AS however my anuerysm is smaller than yours and that is what I am concerned about.
 
Nancy said:
The medical profession uses a risk to benefit ratio for when to recommend surgery. If there are other medical problems that could affect the outcome, that changes the ratio.

Do you think there are other medical problems that would cause them to want to wait on your surgery?

Joe always told me, "Surgeons like to cut, Nancy, that's how they make money"

The other thing to remember is that you told us that your surgeon did say that he would operate sooner, if you wished that.
Click to expand...

Nancy,

I am in great health otherwise. I was running 3 miles a few times a week right until the MRI came back. I (stupidly) played 2 hours of vigorous basketball the month before I stopped exercising. I am active and have dropped my cholesterol in the last year and weigh nearly 30 lbs less than I did in 2005. So I don't think there are any underlying health issues that would counsel against it. I have anxiety issues, but again that seems to cut towards doing the surgery sooner!

cbdheartman
 
It looks like the ball is in your court at the moment, and you can call the shots, at least for now. The surgeon left it open for you.

Maybe that's not what you wanted to hear :D
 
Cameron sees so many people in "worst case scenarios" than most. His reccommending you wait...probably comes from having seen so many of these...4.5, 5.0, numbers...how do you feel?
 
COLLEEN S said:
Cameron sees so many people in "worst case scenarios" than most. His reccommending you wait...probably comes from having seen so many of these...4.5, 5.0, numbers...how do you feel?
Click to expand...

Colleen,

I did think of that and asked him how many people he has told to wait have lived to make it to his threshold for surgery. I wondered if his recommendation was being driven by experience rather than the numbers.

Also, I found it interesting that he said if were simply a question of the aneurysm size he'd recommend surgery. It makes me wonder if I should take my chances with the surgery now rather than later.
 
Another question for you. Did you have a cardiac cath (angiogram)? That is the gold standard for measurement, telling you if you need surgery yet or not, tells you if your other arteries are good enough for surgery, tells you what shape your valve is in, etc.
 
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