avr surgery

[katie]

My husband just found out he has to have avr surgery, the valve has been defective since birth and he is now 49. He suffered a mild heart attack and was lucky the damage was minimal. This is so new to us. We live by Uof M Hospital in Ann Arbor, MI and that is where we went for the attack. They are supposed to be a good hospital has anyone heard anything good,bad, etc.

 

[Nancy]

Hi Katie-

Welcome to the site and nice to see you here. This is a fantastic site with so much info about valves and beyond, you won't believe it.

Everyone here is friendly and helpful. We'll all support you and your husband as you travel this road.

My husband is the patient also. He's 71 years old and has had tons of surgeries. But he's doing pretty well.

I hope we see you posting often with questions.

I'm sure someone will come along to help you with your frist questions.

 

[EVELYN]

Hi Katie and welcome!!! You've come to the right place. I was in your shoes the beginning of June. My Husband had an AVR done on June 26, so everything you're going through is quite fresh in my mind. This is a wonderful site, one that you will use over and over with your many questions.

If you feel like looking through old threads, I have 2...one in presurgery and one post. I don't quite remember the titles. I think one is "A Wife's questions" and the other is "Tyce and his AVR" but the thread starter is Evelyn, that's me. You might find them very helpful as to answers to some of your questions.

I can't help you with hospitals, we're in Eastern Long Island, but I'm sure many members can.

I can wish you both the very best of luck in your search and with your surgery. I know I was beside myself and through everyone in this group, especially my bud Ross who is presently in the hospital recouping from his own surgery, got me through it. You will, too!!!

Trust me, there is hope and normal life after AVR. We're getting ready to go on vacation for a week to celebrate my retirement from teaching and Tyce's successful AVR surgery....So if you don't hear from me, that's the reason why. My husband was 59 and in good health but knew he had a "leaky valve" that they were watching....went into afib and a month later was undergoing surgery. Thank God all went well.

You are in the right place, with wonderful, caring people.

Evelyn

 

[Christina]

Hi Katie, and welcome to this wonderful website. You'll get all the support you need to get you and your husband over the "mountain" as we call it. A wealth of information is available from people from all walks of life. We all have a different story to tell.
I was 53 when I had the surgery and mine was congenital as well. The surgery was not as bad as I thought it would be.
It is quite normal to be scared at first but the more you educate yourselves and become informed about the whole thing, the less scary it will be.

Come and see us often and ask away.

Christina
Congenital Aortic Stenosis
Tucson medical Center, Tucson, AZ
Dr. Gulshan Sethi
Mechanical

 

[JimL]

Welcome, fellow Michiganders!

Welcome, fellow Michiganders!

My surgery was done at McLaren in Flint. I wanted my surgery done there because I had been there to visit several bypass patients over the years and I was impressed with what I saw.
Do gather as much information as you can, but you will never have all the information, and you'll still have to make a decision. Listen to your cardiologist and his recommendations; ask lots of questions. You can at this point hardly spend time more profitably that reading the past threads and biographies here.
I knew about my aortic stenosis since early childhood, but even so I had just about forgotten about it until the congestive heart failure woke me up to the need to get something done very quickly.

 

[ALCapshaw]

Hello Katie,

Did your husband's cardiologist tell him how soon he needed to have his AVR? If you have some time, it would be worthwhile to research the different types of valves, especially the advantages and disadvantages of each. See the thread started by Peter Easton on Heart Talk on the topic of "Making the Choice". It would also be wise to find a surgeon with considerable experience with the valve of your choice.

www.healthgrades.com rates hospitals by location and procedure. The #1 and #2 rated heart hospitals are the Cleveland Clinic and May Clinic respectively. For 'uncomplicated' surgeries, most any hospital that performs the procedure you need on a regular basis should have very good statistics.

GO BLUE !

'AL' (UM grad)

 

[wweir]

Katie,

Welcome to the site. I just had AVR surgery here in Lincoln Nebraska on 15 Aug, for a bicuspid valve problem that I never knew I had. Surgery went fine and I am recuperating rather well.

At this site you will find most of the answers to the questions that are on your mind. If you can?t find it, just ask and your friends here will answer it or point you in the right direction.

If I can give you ay advice it would be to ask a lot of questions. Schedule a sit down with your surgeon and anesthesiologist to go over the entire procedure. Also if you can, get a second opinion in terms of urgency. Your husband owns all the tests, the hospital will give you copies of the echo, tee and other tests that may have been taken. You want to ask for the raw tests not the interpretations.

You want a surgeon that only does hearts. My surgeon, Dr. J. Kent Jex, averages over 300 heart procedures a year which is where you want them to be. His mortality rate is less than 1%. Of course high blood pressure, being overweight, diabetes, and other problems can raise the rate to 2-3%. Still not bad when you consider the alternative.

I know it is all scary but do your homework, gain confidence in your surgical team and everything will be fine.


Walter

 

[Christine]

hi katie !
i'm also new to this site, just joined yesterday, but i love it.. like jim (i believe) i knew about my bicuspid, but was fine for years until CHF woke me up from my denial... my cardio admitted me right there (he's adjacent to the hospital) from his office, after i finally found one (haven't been since changed jobs and insurance several years ago) - unfortunately, i didn't have the chance to do research or find a support group.. i spent a week getting tested to make sure my past infection (which i believe started the down spiral) was past and not current before they did the cath. next day after cath, surgery for a mechanical... plan was for the ross procedure (since i'm only 35) but my heart was too sick to handle the operation.. that was 3 months ago next week - i feel great, my 3mnth echo was fine, he's trying to ween me off all the meds, but my 'extra beats' came back when lowering my coreg so i'm back up to my original.. (sorry, i tend to digress at times, the point i was trying to make is get all the info you can.. it made a world of differnce for me in my recovery.. ) knowledge is power and support from everyone at this site is wonderful - have faith, faith is what gets me thru all this.. from a 35 yr old chick whose only stay in the hospital was when she was born, i was never more at peace durring my 2 week stay at hotel hospital - alittle grumpy mind you after the surgery because i wanted to go home - but i placed my fears in the Lords' hand and He took care of it.. and continues to do so.

good luck and God bless

christine

 

[Bill Hall]

Hi Katie - I wanted to welcome you to the site. I am also 49 years old. I had my AVR and mitral repair in Cleveland in 2001. The surgery went well and I feel the same as before the surgery. Hope your husband makes out as well.

 

[McCln]

Katie

Katie

He is probably in good hands. I had a congenital heart murmur since birth. I have replacement on the aortic valve last year. It ias been almost a year now and I am doing a lot better. I developed CHF two months before surgery. I no longer have CHF and am doing quite well. I am able to walk down the streeet with stopping for breathe. I quit smoking six months before surgery. And I do simple exercises and treadmill a few days a week. So your husband will feel better soon. You both hang in there.

Caroline
09-13-01
Aortic valve replacement
St. Jude's valve

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi katie!
welcome to this site. it has been a lifesaver for me! my husband also had his surgery when he was 49 and is almost a year post op and_thank God_ feeling amazingly great!
you are in good hands and i agree with what all those before me advised you on, for ex. make sure your doc does only hearts, etc.
please let us know what happens. the thread on "making the choice" started by peter easton last year around the summer is really a great and informative one. please try and read it.
we are all here to hold your hand through this difficult and scary time.
take care and be well, sylvia

 

[katie]

Thanks everyone for responding. We find out on the 11th when the surgery is going to be done. My husband is also a diabetic taking insulin shots twice a day and has sleep apnea which complicates things but we aren't feeling so isolated with all of you responding.