Ironman triathlon after aortic valve replacement

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eric adams

Hey, I had my aortic valve (now mechanical) and the ascending part of my aorta replaced a few years ago (I was 35). The day I found out that I needed surgery was the same day that I was flying to compete in an Ironman race. Needless to say, I was very disappointed that all of the training that I had done was wasted. The doctors told me that I would die if I completed the race (my aorta had grown to an 8.5 cm). So, instead of an Ironman race, I spent the next few days thinking about my upcoming surgery and wondering if I would be able to do things like that in the future. Honestly, at the time, I wasn't reading much that supported people doing triathlons post-surgery.

For the last few years, I have been meaning to post something on here to let people know that a valve replacement does not mean an end to endurance sports. In fact, I did an olympic distance race the following summer and had my fastest time ever.

After some consideration, I have decided to try to complete another Ironman in August. It will be the first and will probably be the last one that I do. For whatever reason, I feel like I need to do it one more time. I want to prove to myself that I am not 'damaged goods' and I can do anything that anyone else can do. I'll never forget a physician's assistant telling me that I would need to change my life and I was 'dealt a bad hand.' I want to prove him wrong - I have a great body and a great life.

For the record, I have had no negative reactions to coumadin. I almost selected a pig valve that would need to be replaced because of all of the criticism and complaints surrounding coumadin. It doesn't make me feel tired or cold or whatever. I don't even bruise! I have to admit, when I cut myself it bleeds for a long, long time!

Anyway, I have been meaning to write this for a while and I hope it will provide some information to those that are concerned about what life is like post-operation.
 
Eric,glad you joined.I have the same operation coming up in a week.I stay pretty active sports wise basketball,volleyball and golf.Glad to hear that after surgery I should be able to continue with my sports.I'm going with the tissue valve though(56 years old).Welcome aboard!!
 
Hi Eric,

It's nice to hear from another member who has successfully pursued returning to serious endurance sports activities. While I don't do triathlons, I pursue century ride types of bicycling events. There are a number of us who engage in endurance activities.

Proving to yourself that you're not damaged goods? I do hope you realize that you're simply an individual who had some defective parts replaced and that the new ones undoubtedly work better than your original equipment. For many of us, AVR surgery is simply about getting things fixed so we can move on with our lives and the activities we choose to enjoy.

Bruising due to coumadin would be less of an issue for me if I could learn how to keep both wheels of my mountain bike under me where they belong. Good luck convincing some of the other folks out there that coumadin and artificial valves aren't bad things; it's terribly hard to change the perceptions other people develop.

-Philip
 
damaged goods? if you had a tooth replaced, would you have one last steak to
prove you could do it? then spend the rest of your life eating chick-peas?
once you're fixed, that's it, you're fixed. unless your doctor finds something specific
that will prevent you from doing whatever you want physically, you should be able to
anything you could before avr...maybe more.

screw the physician's assistant! what does he know? you have nothing to prove
to that idiot. you completed an olympic distance race a year after surgery. how
many of the "non-damaged" can accomplish that?
 
Why stop after doing the one in August? We have one triathlete on this site who has completed several since his surgery.
Like Jack said go to cardiac athletes site, there are triathletes of all levels, runners and swimmers. It's a new world out there for us once we have open heart surgery, but anymore, it should never stop us from doing what we want...well in most cases anyway.
 
Hey, Eric, that's great; good luck with your training and the triathlon, and welcome to the forum. Keep us posted. (I did a smaller-scale triathlon many years ago. Almost drowned in the swimming part but did fine in the bike and okay in the run. :D)...

Look forward to hearing progress reports from you.
 
Eric,
Welcome and thanks for posting. I share your emotions about "damaged goods" and proving that it can be done.

I ran a second marathon to prove that the first one wasn't a fluke (like gearing up to 26.2 is ever a fluke). Now I compete in sprint Tri's and get a little faster each time - now approx 50th percentile.

This site and the cardiac athletes site help overcome the (few) professionals that seem to have myths about life on coumadin after surgery. My GE once referred to me as a "ticking time bomb" with my history. I got over it, but after losing a bunch of weight and coming back fit as a fiddle, he called me "fantastic". They come around.

I wish the best for you. Let us know how you are doing.
 
Hi Eric, that's a great post and some great motivation as well. It definitely is good to see a post like that for someone like myself. I am in my early 30's and lead an active an life. I'm going on 9 mos post surgery AVR. I elected for the tissue because partly on suggestion of my surgeon but I probably would've gone that route because of my lifestyle. I used to lift weights fairly heavy, but go light weight high reps, and am really running quite a bit more. I've been seriously thinking about gearing up for a marathon (probably a half marathon first), but your post definitely is a good boost! I do live in Hawaii, that's the closest I'll come to the Ironman! Thanks...Good Luck!
 
Here's an update. Since I wrote last, I noticed that my maximum heart rate was steadily decreasing. Also, I was becoming slower and slower. I was becoming discouraged with my speed and this was effecting my motivation to train. During the next several months, I was missing more and more workouts. I didn’t feel healthy and I gained weight. We met with my cardiologist. As we explained the changes in my heart rate, she suggested a decrease in the amount of blood-pressure medication I was taking daily. Immediately, my maximum heart rate increased and so did my speed.

Soon after, I signed up for another Ironman-distance race to be held in August of 2009. With an Ironman race as a goal, I regained my motivation to train and began a strict training regimen. I was feeling strong during my workouts. My heart-rate was more normal. However, after a few weeks, I noticed that my heart-rate wasn’t falling as expected during my cool-down. I was also a little light-headed and dizzy during the day.

We met with my cardiologist several times to discuss what may be the cause, only to leave without answers and feeling frustrated. Finally, the doctor suggested doing my annual stress echo early. This test revealed a possible problem with one of the chambers of my heart. The doctor then ordered a nuclear stress test and, later, an angiogram. The angiogram revealed that my right coronary artery was 85% blocked with scar tissue from the previous surgery. This was not something that was expected nor common. Again, my surgeon explained that I needed another open-heart surgery to fix the problem. If he didn’t act quickly, a heart attack was imminent. The surgery was scheduled for the following week.

As I was recovering in the hospital, my surgeon came to check up on me. I sarcastically asked if I was still able to do the Ironman this summer. To my surprise, he said that there was no reason I couldn’t complete an Ironman. He said that my problem was fixed and I should be better than ever. In fact, he encouraged me to compete, suggesting that I now had a fully-functional heart and my performance should be much improved.

That was one week ago, on March 30th, 2009. I have decided that I will begin again to train for an Ironman. I hope that my story will motivate others to become more aware of their heart-health. As athletes who push our bodies past the limit, we must not assume that everything is fine. We must be vigilant and become aware of our heart and avoid the many silent killers that are patiently waiting for many of us. We need to listen to what our bodies are saying and take responsibility for our health. It is important to ask questions and be persistent in finding the answers.

Also, I have something to prove. I will not be beaten by this. I will overcome. I know that, in my heart, I am an Ironman.
 
Eric, good catch...it just goes to show how closer we are to knowing our own bodies, and when something is amiss. Keep up the training...I look forward to hearing about your accompishments!
 
eric adams said:
Here's an update. Since I wrote last, I noticed that my maximum heart rate was steadily decreasing. Also, I was becoming slower and slower. I was becoming discouraged with my speed and this was effecting my motivation to train. During the next several months, I was missing more and more workouts. I didn’t feel healthy and I gained weight. We met with my cardiologist. As we explained the changes in my heart rate, she suggested a decrease in the amount of blood-pressure medication I was taking daily. Immediately, my maximum heart rate increased and so did my speed.

Soon after, I signed up for another Ironman-distance race to be held in August of 2009. With an Ironman race as a goal, I regained my motivation to train and began a strict training regimen. I was feeling strong during my workouts. My heart-rate was more normal. However, after a few weeks, I noticed that my heart-rate wasn’t falling as expected during my cool-down. I was also a little light-headed and dizzy during the day.

We met with my cardiologist several times to discuss what may be the cause, only to leave without answers and feeling frustrated. Finally, the doctor suggested doing my annual stress echo early. This test revealed a possible problem with one of the chambers of my heart. The doctor then ordered a nuclear stress test and, later, an angiogram. The angiogram revealed that my right coronary artery was 85% blocked with scar tissue from the previous surgery. This was not something that was expected nor common. Again, my surgeon explained that I needed another open-heart surgery to fix the problem. If he didn’t act quickly, a heart attack was imminent. The surgery was scheduled for the following week.

As I was recovering in the hospital, my surgeon came to check up on me. I sarcastically asked if I was still able to do the Ironman this summer. To my surprise, he said that there was no reason I couldn’t complete an Ironman. He said that my problem was fixed and I should be better than ever. In fact, he encouraged me to compete, suggesting that I now had a fully-functional heart and my performance should be much improved.

That was one week ago, on March 30th, 2009. I have decided that I will begin again to train for an Ironman. I hope that my story will motivate others to become more aware of their heart-health. As athletes who push our bodies past the limit, we must not assume that everything is fine. We must be vigilant and become aware of our heart and avoid the many silent killers that are patiently waiting for many of us. We need to listen to what our bodies are saying and take responsibility for our health. It is important to ask questions and be persistent in finding the answers.

Also, I have something to prove. I will not be beaten by this. I will overcome. I know that, in my heart, I am an Ironman.
Click to expand...

It's three years after this post and I'm wondering what happened. Did you do the ironman? You see I'm wondering about doing the same thing myself
 
This was a great and motivational post to bump. Thanks for that Richard. Eric, if you are around please post up. I myself plan to get back to my sport after the recovery and over next 10 years I hope to beat some of my old records and set some new ones.
 
Way to go Eric, love what your saying man. You cross that line before midnight for all of us. I have been working to get back in shape but not at your level; you inspire me. I would much rather read stuff like this than some yahoo looking for justification to smoke weed.
 
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