Echo results

[Rick W]

I wanted to update my situation with everyone. Those of you who responded to my post are very kind and thoughtful.Thank you.
Well my card. says we may need to do an AVR in one or two years. My area is 0.85 cm2 down from 0.9 last year. Pressure gradient is 69 mmHg. He says any chest pain(what kind I am not sure) or ankle swelling would indicate an AVR surgery. I exercise and get winded but no pains or fainting yet, and I'm very careful. My diet is excellent and weight is optimal. Waiting in this way is a little stressful, but worth it if better surgical options develop. I like the idea of this Cryo valve as I am opposed to Coumadin. At 54 years old valve selection seems a critical decision for me. Anyone with feedback on this? I guess there is time for me to prepare and I find the reading at this site most helpful.

 

[Perrster]

You Have Time for Research!

You Have Time for Research!

Hey, Rick,

Hind sight being 20/20, if I had taken the time and utlized the incredible amount of information and knowledge I've gained via the Internet today, especially vr.com, my valve selection learning curve would have been much steeper! But, I ain't complaining. I got dual St. Jude Mechanicals and take Coumadin. I've got my Cholesterol and INR's under control and "life is good!"

I think physicians today are getting used to patients becoming a team member and knowing almost as much about their problem as they do. My doctor actually "promotes" self-care. So, just do it. You'll feel better and heal faster too once the surgery if over.

Best of luck, Rick with your research and decisions and I hope you will keep us tuned in to more details and of course, more knowledge.

Cheers!

 

[Peter Easton]

Rick,

On valve choice, you might want to check out the thread entitled "Making the decision" (latest post was a week or two ago on the Heart Forum) as a number of people weighed in there on options.

My aperture was at 0.61 cm2 before surgery, though my symptoms were pretty mild. In retrospect, as I've mentioned elsewhere, I wonder if I shouldn't have had the surgery earlier in the game, despite not having strong symptoms, because it appears -- from what the surgeon said post-op -- that my heart "muscled up" a lot trying to push blood through the narrow remaining opening in my valve. So I am wondering whether severity of symptoms is necessarily the best guide.

Good luck with your treatment and decisions and keep us posted!

Peter

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi rick!
peter's recommendation to check out the "making the choice" thread on this forum is an excellent one. it helped us in making our choice. my husband, joey, 49, had an aortic diam. of about .46 by the time he was doing his presurgical cath. symptoms had not been too bad until about 2-3 weeks before the surgery! (only shortness of breath)
so, i believe symptoms should not be your gauge.

joey also felt oppossed to coumadin,because of our active lifestyle. although he had a ross procedure and hopes to be free of most meds, they initially keep you on several, including coumadin for about 6 weeks (which turned out to be a good idea because he has had a few bouts with a-fib). he doesn't seem to mind it, knowing that it is temporary.

have you had a cath? i apologize, but i don't remember your case..... what initiated this check up or was it a routine one?
joey's condition accelerated very quickly over the last 6 months(about as much as it had over the last 6 yrs!).
although his regurg. was primarily the problem, the stenosis became so bad, they were even worried they wouldn't be able to go through the valve during the cath due to the narrowness of the opening. the surgeon confirmed that narrowness and said it was a miracle joey had not collapsed!

please read that thread. it is very informative and helped us in making our choice.

good luck and be well!
let us know what you decide!
-sylvia

 

[Rick W]

echo results

echo results

Hi Sylvia,
I am new to posting and this site so bear with me all who replied. I will visit the thread you suggested. As for initial diagnosis, I had arrhytmias in the evening while sitting down to relax. This was about 3 years ago and aortic area was 1.1 cm2 then. I had asked for a check-up and the dr. picked up on the murmur. I am in no hurry for surgery as I would have to go it alone post-op and I dont know how I can do it. I am active as my previous posts indicate and want to increase the level, but not now. I do not know that I can ask for the operation even if getting it over with is what I wanted. Dr. says my heart is normal now, but is working harder. I dont want to complain, but I am scared already and I still have time. I hope this is ok with everyone in the forum, who are not as far off as I am from the big day.
Thanks again to all who have responded to me.
Rick

 

[Nancy]

Hi Rick-

You're right the long wait can be stressful, but look at it this way. Your symptoms aren't too bad just now, so you are able to do lots of things. If and when your symptoms become more difficult, you have this marvelous "fix" available to you. Not every critical disease has a "fix". The surgery is lifesaving. You'll no doubt be in close touch with your cardiologist who'll know by what you tell him, and his own testing just when the right time to do the surgery is.

And best of all, you have lots of time to come to this site and make lots of friends who understand your every problem, well, almost. You also have a wonderful opportunity to do some research on different valves and what they entail. Plus you have time to figure out your game plan.

Lots of things on the positive side.

So ask lots of questions, you'll be the best informed patient your doctor has!

 

[sylviayasgur]

amen, nancy!

rick, are you taking any meds? do you have the arrhythmias all the time or just once in a while in the eve's or at other times?
are you taking any meds to help your heart work less hard?

we are all here to help.
be well,
sylvia

 

[Mara]

Hi Rick-
As a cryovalve recipient, that valve gets my vote.
But, you need to check it out for yourself.

I can't tell you what my gradient and all that was, because I don't remember, all I know is the surgeon said my AV was so stenotic the opening was the size of a pencil lead and he was surprised I hadn't been passing out.

I had some arrythmias---mostly PVCs and some tachycardia.
i was always told to look out for chestpain, lightheadedness, dizziness, swelling placking out. All warning signs. Sometimes AV patients just blow out the aortic vavle and collapse, then there's nothing you can do. Doesn't happen often though and it sounds as if you are in good shape.

Nancy is right on about VR.com. Hang out and pik up tips, some of these folks really know there stuf, like Nancy who has been thru the gammet.

Good luck

 

[gary47]

valve repair

valve repair

There are some surgeons who do valve repair-with a mild gradient present