Newbie

[puckparent]

Let me introduce myself. I have been reading this forum for a few months and it looks like I will have my aortic valve replaced in the fall. I was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis last summer. Surprise! Didn't know I had a heart murmur. My measurements in December were valve at .09 with 4.2 velocity. My measurements have gotten slightly worse on the echo I had last week as the velocity is at 4.3. My doctor told me that 4.5 is the number they use for surgery. I experience a lot of shortness of breath so it is up to me if I want to do the surgery sooner instead of waiting. I would like to be able to avoid the chest scar so I could still wear v neck or strapless dresses so I am trying to find surgeons that do the aortic mini-thoracotomy and if it is a less painful recovery than the mini sternotomy

 

[ken taylor]

If they will do the surgery, get it done and behind you. I wanted to get mine done before symptoms, For me it has been the right decision. Tomorrow will be six weeks with my new ONX valve. Ive been walking 4 miles a day and tomorrow I will celebrate by walking six miles, With your shortness of breath I and most all here would tell you find a great surgeon. If you will let the forum know where you are and your age you can find a lot of recomendations and help here. The surgery is a blessing!

 

[hetmarie]

The sooner the better. I had my surgery March 7. I was told I needed it last September and put it off as long as I could. Those 6 months were a nightmare mentally on me. I almost purged my closet of any shirts that would even come close to showing my scar (which is 8.5 inches long due to the surgery I had). As soon as summer hit, I'm really glad I didn't toss all those summer type shirts out because it's just too frickin' hot to care about whether anyone sees my scar or not. They see it, they don't ask about it and I'm over it. Physical scars fade over time. Hopefully you can find a surgeon that fits your needs. Good luck to you!!

 

[Greg a]

We have a member, Scott, in Fl "hockey heart" and now Chicago with a "puckparent" do I sense rivalry on the board an original six vs expansion team hmmmmmm

A heart felt WELCOME to our OHS family glad you found the site most of the community are OHS brothers and sisters, there are some minimally invasive so ask away, there is a wealth of knowledge here for the future .....


Bob/tobagotwo has up dated a list of acronyms and short forms http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=8494&d=1276042314

what to ask pre surgery http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...68-Pre-surgery-consultation-list-of-questions

what to take with you to the hospital http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?13283-what-to-take-to-the-hospital-a-checklist

Preparing the house for post surgical patients http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...Getting-Comfortable-Around-the-House&p=218802

These are from various forum stickies and there is plenty more to read as well


And Lynw recently added this PDF on what to expect post op
http://www.sts.org/documents/pdf/whattoexpect.pdf

 

[Lisa2]

Welcome, puckparent! Good luck on your search for a surgeon. I opted for the full sternotomy. I figured, give them all the room they need. I wasn't a candidate for the other option anyway You know, it doesn't even bother me that people look at the scar now. It took a little while to get used to the looks but now I don't pay any attention. If someone is staring at me I just figure I've got something stuck in my teeth!

 

[sue943]

I'm with Lisa, I want them to have all the room in the world when tinkering in my heart. My scar is 9.5 inches and doesn't stop me wearing v-neck tops. Yes for the first month or so I was trying to hide it with tops which covered it but soon grew up and stopped fussing about it.

 

[jklump]

I agree with the above. My surgeon said: " I do minimum incisions all the time, but I really prefer to have more room for my hands when I work on your heart" In my case "whatever makes him happy" My 10" scar doesn't bother me a bit,of course I'm male and haven't had a strapless dress on lately

 

[ChicagoMammy]

Scar as a consideration

Scar as a consideration

Hi and welcome.

Honestly the scar does not bother me one bit now. I was 28 when I had my surgery and am 33 now. For the first 6-12 months after surgery I went between displaying it proudly to hiding it and back again several times. Now it really does not come into consideration when I'm choosing my clothes. for the first year or two I often wore a necklace with a medium pendant. It did not hide the scar completely but enough. Now I wear a necklace I got for my 21st birthday that is slender elegant and covers some of the scar. I wear it because I like it, but it is definitely a bit of a disguise as an extra benefit (if necessary).

If you are a GOOD candidate for a smaller opening then great, but do what's best for your health. However considering your scar - some surgeons are better than others in that area. Although your successfully surgery is your number 1 priority you can ask about the scars. The nurses know these things. I was having blood drawn a while back and was asked who did my surgery. When I told her she said she could tell because the scar was so neat.

Here are a couple of pics showing my scar with and without the necklace: