Greetings . My AVR surgery was a little over three years ago with a mechanical valve implanted. As such, I don't have any particular questions or concerns at the moment. Although I did not discover this forum at a time when it might have allayed some pre-surgery anxiety or addressed post-surgery recovery concerns, nevertheless I have found the site contents useful in gaining insight on certain perspectives as it pertains to anti-coagulation therapy, INR target management and self-testing, bridging, recollections of the valve-replacement experience, and other matters that have piqued my interest. After perusing the site for quite a while, I finally decided to switch from a lurker to become a participating member of the community forum. I extend my appreciation to those sharing their experiences and information sources on various topics.
New member joining three years post AVR
- Thread starter Aquila
- Start date
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Welcome, Aquilla. Like you, many of us had our surgery years, or even decades, before finding informational forums like this one. Your experiences will help both newcomers and veterans.........and, if you are like me, you will learn some things you did not know.
welcome aboard.
Glad its helped you in some way with managing your blood thinners ;-)
Merry Christmas
Welcome to the forum, Aquila. Glad that you decided to become a member.
Welcome! If you don't mind me asking, did you have post-surgery numbness around the incision site? Did it get better with time? I underwent AVR via minithoracotomy and my main complaint is numbness around the incision site.
Yes, I had numbness around the incision site for quite a while; it did get better with time as it no longer feels numb.
I had gone through a period where I had not gotten regular medical checkups as I did not experience any significant illnesses and did not think I had any major health concerns. Eventually, I had a non-heart-related concern that prompted me to get established with a new general practitioner who first detected my heart murmur. I was referred to a cardiologist where I was monitored via echocardiograms every 6 months. After my third echo, I got an 'unanticipated' recommendation from my cardiologist for AVR due to the severity of the aortic regurgitation. This was followed by a cardiac catheterization diagnostic and meeting with the surgeon to discuss the AVR options and plan the timetable for CT scan and surgery. I spent some time weighing the choice between tissue vs mechanical before deciding on the latter particularly being 54 years old at the time. I was allowed considerable leeway in scheduling the surgery date. The surgery went smoothly with no issues.
My new valve has performed well for me so far.
Thanks for the response! This is reassuring
Did you use any measures to help with the numbness? Medication, topical treatment or something else?I do not recall much numbness around the incision site, but I did have significant numness on one side of my neck. It really was not a big deal for me- felt a little funny when shaving is all. It gradually regained full sensation, over the course of about 8 to 12 months.
