Bad Mad
Well-known member
Hi Folks!! At long last I have got this flaming computer up and running to the Www, just in time to tell all about my 2nd time around surgery experience, and how much if differed, (and believe it or not) and was soooo... much better than 1st time around!!
First of all though, I have to say how grateful and humbled I was, by all the lovely messages of support, that so many of you left on prior to and after my surgery.
5 mainly pain free weeks on, here's my story :
Brief background: (BAVD) Homograft implanted in 2001 to replace my natural
AVR. Over this past year the homograft had been leaking more and narrowing
more (stenosis), and my ascending aorta was dilated to 4.5cm. So the plan was to go for a ATS mechanical if only part of the ascending aorta needed grafted and a St. Judes Darcon graft if a full root replacement was needed (Bentalls).
So the night before the (10th December past) operation (after the cameras had pissed off!!
) both the anaethetist and the registar indicated that they were 99% sure that it would indeed be the full root replacement.
I did get a little more confidence from the fact that the registrar (has since taken up a consultants post in London) quoted my Chances at 95%, compared to the original figure of 92% by the surgeon That said, I was conscious of the fact that the cameras were present at the time the surgeon gave me his estimation, and he did use the Euro Scoring method to calculate my chances.
The anaethetist then subdtly informed me that the main (best) drug that they use for stopping any bleeds had to be taken off the market 2 weeks previous as it had been proven that it may have been a factor in mortality Other drugs but less effective?? Considering mine was a redo, he could see my concern!! So he told me as an extra precaution he would implant some sort of a brain scanning device on my head that they only use on high risk patients, that would detect any sort of bleeding a lot quicker.
So heavens behold, what do you know, 10 minutes into the operation when cutting through the Scar Tissue, they hit an arteryThe old brain mechanism did come in handy aND THE BLEED WAS UNDER CONTROL extremely quickly. I wonder if the surgery hadn't of been filmed would they have told me that?! a couple of hours later, sewed up, and away I went to ICU I went.
Anyway, I woke that night high as a Kite asking to go home, asking for a beer , and in quite good form; that was until one of the nurses informed me that on my notes it stated that I had an AVR - no mention of the aorta at all
Edit:
The next morning the surgeon came around to tell me that when they went in there they discovered that the dilatation/ problem of/with the aorta was being caused by the valve not working properly, and that root replacement wasn't required. He indicated that the homgraft was causing the problem, possibly the stenosis/regurgitation??? and that once the new valve went in it was quite clear that the problem was resolved. He made reference to the the ascending aorta being like a baloon shape, with the homgraft being responsible for causing it to inflate/dilate, almost as if it was nipping into it!! He also said that he trimmed approximately 1cm in total away right around the circumference of the aneurysm, which would have probably reduced the size of the ascending aorta from 4.5cm to 4cm in diameter.
I have to say, I was a little confused, suspicious etc. etc. why this possibility was never mentioned. But he kept reassuring me that if it needed replaced then that's what he would have done. His synopsis was that, now with a normally fuctioning valve (that won't leak or narrow), the aorta is fine
I suppose I just never heard of this scenario before, and was quite shocked! This coversation was filmed, so once I can get my hands on it, I will be a little clearer as to the details. He did say from day one though, that once he went in, his intention was to fix me for good, and he reasured me that he had.
And the echo results post op looked good. I'd love to hear from anyone with a similar experience.
I have to say that I couldn't have anticipated any smoother a recovery.
When I had my surgery in 2001, I didn't know what had hit me. This time, as soon as I got out of HDU on day 2 I was up on my feet and the only time I really felt much pain was at night in bed. The reason for an easier ride this time around?? Definitely, better mental preparation, and who knows, maybe an intruding camera had a part to play
By day 6 I was ready for home, and only for a spike in temp and too low an INR I would have been away. I was kept in for another 5 days, mainly so infection could be ruled out (with the temp spike) and also to get my INR stabilised. Eating like a champion a couple of days post op, I was really surpised/delighted that I was tasting my food as normal.
So you can imagine the damage done to turkey, cranberry, brussels etc. on Christmas day (Strangely my INR was a little low at the next test! so I had to drink a couple of glasses of red wine to balance things out for the subsequest INR test
5 weeks on, things are good. I'm back driving a week ago. I met with the football (Gaelic) team that I coach, tonite, to take them through their weight training programmes, and I'm feeling stronger everyday
It's good to be back.
Chat soon
Kevin
First of all though, I have to say how grateful and humbled I was, by all the lovely messages of support, that so many of you left on prior to and after my surgery.
5 mainly pain free weeks on, here's my story :
Brief background: (BAVD) Homograft implanted in 2001 to replace my natural
AVR. Over this past year the homograft had been leaking more and narrowing
more (stenosis), and my ascending aorta was dilated to 4.5cm. So the plan was to go for a ATS mechanical if only part of the ascending aorta needed grafted and a St. Judes Darcon graft if a full root replacement was needed (Bentalls).
So the night before the (10th December past) operation (after the cameras had pissed off!!
) both the anaethetist and the registar indicated that they were 99% sure that it would indeed be the full root replacement. I did get a little more confidence from the fact that the registrar (has since taken up a consultants post in London) quoted my Chances at 95%, compared to the original figure of 92% by the surgeon
That said, I was conscious of the fact that the cameras were present at the time the surgeon gave me his estimation, and he did use the Euro Scoring method to calculate my chances.The anaethetist then subdtly informed me that the main (best) drug that they use for stopping any bleeds had to be taken off the market 2 weeks previous as it had been proven that it may have been a factor in mortality
Other drugs but less effective?? Considering mine was a redo, he could see my concern!! So he told me as an extra precaution he would implant some sort of a brain scanning device on my head that they only use on high risk patients, that would detect any sort of bleeding a lot quicker.So heavens behold, what do you know, 10 minutes into the operation when cutting through the Scar Tissue, they hit an artery
The old brain mechanism did come in handy aND THE BLEED WAS UNDER CONTROL extremely quickly. I wonder if the surgery hadn't of been filmed would they have told me that?! a couple of hours later, sewed up, and away I went to ICU I went.Anyway, I woke that night high as a Kite asking to go home, asking for a beer , and in quite good form; that was until one of the nurses informed me that on my notes it stated that I had an AVR - no mention of the aorta at all
Edit:
The next morning the surgeon came around to tell me that when they went in there they discovered that the dilatation/ problem of/with the aorta was being caused by the valve not working properly, and that root replacement wasn't required. He indicated that the homgraft was causing the problem, possibly the stenosis/regurgitation??? and that once the new valve went in it was quite clear that the problem was resolved. He made reference to the the ascending aorta being like a baloon shape, with the homgraft being responsible for causing it to inflate/dilate, almost as if it was nipping into it!! He also said that he trimmed approximately 1cm in total away right around the circumference of the aneurysm, which would have probably reduced the size of the ascending aorta from 4.5cm to 4cm in diameter.
I have to say, I was a little confused, suspicious etc. etc. why this possibility was never mentioned. But he kept reassuring me that if it needed replaced then that's what he would have done. His synopsis was that, now with a normally fuctioning valve (that won't leak or narrow), the aorta is fine
I suppose I just never heard of this scenario before, and was quite shocked! This coversation was filmed, so once I can get my hands on it, I will be a little clearer as to the details. He did say from day one though, that once he went in, his intention was to fix me for good, and he reasured me that he had.
And the echo results post op looked good. I'd love to hear from anyone with a similar experience.
I have to say that I couldn't have anticipated any smoother a recovery.
When I had my surgery in 2001, I didn't know what had hit me. This time, as soon as I got out of HDU on day 2 I was up on my feet and the only time I really felt much pain was at night in bed. The reason for an easier ride this time around?? Definitely, better mental preparation, and who knows, maybe an intruding camera had a part to play
By day 6 I was ready for home, and only for a spike in temp and too low an INR I would have been away. I was kept in for another 5 days, mainly so infection could be ruled out (with the temp spike) and also to get my INR stabilised. Eating like a champion a couple of days post op, I was really surpised/delighted that I was tasting my food as normal.
So you can imagine the damage done to turkey, cranberry, brussels etc. on Christmas day (Strangely my INR was a little low at the next test!
so I had to drink a couple of glasses of red wine to balance things out for the subsequest INR test 5 weeks on, things are good. I'm back driving a week ago. I met with the football (Gaelic) team that I coach, tonite, to take them through their weight training programmes, and I'm feeling stronger everyday
It's good to be back.
Chat soon
Kevin
