Mitral Valve Repair 2009

[aruddick]

Hello Everyone,
I am new to this site and any feedback given is most appreciated. I guess I should start by sharing my story. My husband and I delivered our second child in August 2009, then 3 days after delivery we were back in the hospital where I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure due to mitral stenosis. I don't have all the techinical information related to my situation; however I was sent for emergency surgery. I had a balloon valvuloplasty at St. Vincent Heart Center. I was briefly on meds for heart palps, but since my last visit with the cardiologist last year...he took me off them, since I was getting light headed a lot. I am curious about so many things, because the long-term information that I have recieved from the doctors is so vague. I've been told that I wouldn't need anymore intervention from 20 years all the way down to 5 years. I am currently 33 years old and try to take care of my health. I'm not a smoker or drug user and rarely drink. I've search website high/low to gather as much information as possible. Does anyone have recommendations on what is the right questions to ask my doctor to help me understand my situation better?

 

[yogibaer78]

I'm also 33 years old married male from Long Island NY. I would call your cardiologist and explain to him/her that you had this situation years prior and havent been feeling yourself. I know I had my open heart surgery like 6 months ago for pulmonary valve replacement and atrial septic defect and I know at time I felt dizzy and lighheaded when I would bend down for a extended time. You dont know what couldve happened in the last three years or so with your mital stenosis. The scary thing with me was that I pretty much felt fine and all of a sudden I went for a yearly check and they were like you need to go for a cardiac mri. I'm like ok I never went for one of those before. and then a few months later I was having a second heart surgery. I had one in 1978 and another in 2011. I hope this helps

 

[Lynlw]

Hi I might be reading this wrong, but I took it as since they stopped your meds last year you haven't been having the lightheaded feelings and things are fine now, you are just wonderring about the future? IF That's right, my guess about why the doctors are so vague is because they honestly dont know what will happen in the future, sinc everyone is different. I might be reading things wrong tho, did you also have surgery beside the balloon cath? Hopefully the valvuloplasty is all you will need for a long time.
Are you seeing your cardiologist yearly? Hopefully they will keep an eye on things. I would keep records of all your test results, You could ask what numbers they are watching to dcide when you would need surgery or anything you can do to help. Since you went into heart failure after pregnancy/delivery I would probably ask if another pregnancy would be hard on your heart or since you had the balloon if you would probably handle any other pregnancies better than you did with the mitral stenosis.