Scared Newbie

Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Advertise with us
Valve Replacement Forums

Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
cp172

cp172

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
585
Location
Middle Ga.
Hello Guys:

First let me say what a blessing finding this web site has been. To see how you guys bravely handle your problems has been a great source of comfort.

Many years ago I was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse. Six years ago I was told that I had moderate regurgitation. Last year they found that I was in AF and I was put on sotalol and warfin to solve the problem. Last week I was told that my regurgitation was severe and that it was time to fix the problem before my heart was damaged. I have no symptoms other than being a little tired which I attributed to reaching my 50's. I am also overweight and have problems concentrating at times. I recently had a 20 second case of double vision which I have never had before.

Anyway my head is spinning and I am unsure what questions to ask. I have been reading all I can on this website to learn as much as possible. I am scheduled to see a surgeon next week. Below are a few questions I do have:


*Can most mitral valves be fixed rather than replaced nowdays?

*I live in middle Ga. The procedure would be done at the Medical Center of Middle Ga.which is 10 miles from home. I could go to Emory in Atlanta but that would be 90 miles away. Anyone had experience with either? My surgeon is supposed to specialize on valves. The Medical Center has a great reputation as it is only one of three trauma centers in Ga. and a new heart center is about to open.

* Anyone had experience with minimal invasive surgery on the Davinci machine?

Again thanks for all you guys do.

God Bless,

CP
 
Cp,

Welcome to the zoo. I don?t have much insight for you (I?m Aortic). If your surgeon does a lot of valve surgeries that is a good thing. There are many fine institutions for OHS. I had mine done in my home town, the key for me was the surgeon, he is tops. There will be others chime in with more info?just wanted to welcome you and to say that it is not as bad as you are imagining.
 
Hello CP, and welcome to the group....good thing you found us!
Your symptoms are starting and you are smart to get your head around the fact that surgery is coming your way. We have many mitral valve members who will be along to help you.
 
I can tell you my experience at Emory was nothing less than excellent. My Cardiologist and surgeon are both at Emory.

Things that impressed us about Emory were how insurance was handled, they did everything, got all the approvals had everything in place we did not have to do anything.
As for in hopsital care I had a private room with a couch that made into a bed so my wife could spend the entire time I was in there with me. Nurses were great, I can't say enough positive about Emory.
 
Hi CP. Yes, between 85% and 95% of mitral valve prolapse and regurgitation problems can be repaired. The most important thing is to have a surgeon who is very experienced in mitral valve repair.

Although I have not had experience with a minimally invasive repair on the da Vinci machine (mine was a very complicated repair, and I had to have a sternotomy), the hospital that did my repair now uses the da Vinci machine (on selected patients). What is supposed to be really great with the da Vinci robotic surgery is that for every millimeter that the scalpel moves, the surgeon's hand moves about a centimeter. This prevents mistakes from the hand moving inadvertantly.

I also had A-Fib a couple of months before my surgery which was cardioverted and then stablized with drugs. Then I had a Maze procedure along with the repair. My heart is in perfect sinus rhythm. I am telling you this, because you might want to ask your surgeon if it would be a good idea to do a Maze.
 
Welcome to the VR community. Glad you found us.

As I understand it, the instances of being able to to repair the mitral valve is more often than with other types of valves. However, I also understand this doesn't necessarily mean most mitral valves can be fixed rather than replaced, at least from what I was told. Your surgeon should be able to determine the likeihood of repair verses replacement. That said, when I had my repair, my Surgeon said he could never be 100% certain until I was actually in surgery. While he was fairly certain it could be repaired, I was prepared to wake up with a replacement if he deemed it necessary during the surgery.

Best wishes and good luck.
 
I just want to add that when I said that the mitral valve can be repaired 85% to 95% of the time, I meant when done by a surgeon who is very experienced in repairing the mitral valve. Unfortunately, the percentage of mitral valve repairs is much lower than that because so many surgeons are NOT experienced in repairing them, and it is much easier to replace the valve. So, that is why is is sooooo important to find the most experienced surgeon.
 
Welcome to our world CP.

The common theme here on VR.com is to find a Surgeon with LOTS of EXPERIENCE (and a good track record) with the Procedure YOU will have. Hopefully your surgeon will be someone who does around 200 "Valve Jobs" a year. Note that there is a HUGE difference between Valve Repair or Replacement and "simple" ByPass Surgery. It is also good to go to a hospital that does LOTS of Heart Surgeries (like 1000 / year or close to that). Bottom Line: The more they do, the better they are, from surgery to post op care. You will be glad to know that first time surgeries in patients under age 60 are highly successful with a 1% risk of Stroke and 1% risk of Mortality. This is WAY better than the alternative of doing nothing!

I don't know anything about your local hospital, but Emory is ranked in the Top 10 of Heart Hospitals and seems to have an excellent reputation. Dr. Petracek at Vanderbilt in Nashville is another Valve Specialist known for his Minimally Invasive Thoracotomy (through the ribs) approach which is reputed to have lower risk and faster healing than a sternotomy.

Regardless of whatever First Choice you and your surgeon come up with, I STRONGLY recommend having a Plan B, 'just in case' Plan A does not work out or is not viable 'once he gets in there'. Take it from someone who ended up with "Option 2" WITHOUT having gone into surgery with a Plan B, in other words, option 2 was the Surgeons Choice without any input from me, the patient. Generally speaking, the fewer "surprises" in surgery, the better!

Many of us have had short term 'visual effects' which are always difficult to pin down as to actual cause. Possible culprits include Visual Migraines, Migraines, and TIA's (Transient Ischemic Attacks) which may result from tiny clots breaking off and resolving without permanent damage. Whenever I have a 'visual effect', I chew a regular (325mg) Aspirin, 'just in case'. Ask your Cardiologist about such a plan if you wish to do likewise.

Feel free to ask ANY questions that come to your mind. We should have someone who can provide an answer or at least point you in the right direction. Glad you found us!

'AL Capshaw'
 
Glad you found this website. I found it so helpful in preparing for my mitral valve surgery, which was performed a little over 2 months ago. My how time flies! I feel great!

As others have stated, the most important thing is to find a very experienced surgeon. A mitral valve repair is usually preferable and I'm told it should last the rest of my life. My cardiologist at Mayo doesn't anticipate any problems and since my visit in mid-December, I don't have to go back for 18 months.

Do the best you can in searching for a skilled surgeon. Repairs can be tricky but are becoming commonplace now. My surgeon couldn't guarantee a repair prior to surgery but he told me that he had never -not been able to repair a valve like mine. My regurgitation was caused by a myxotamous (thickened) valve and both leaflets were effected.

I cannot offer much advice regarding the da Vinci. There is only one hospital in my area that uses it for mitral valve surgery and their first patient was in September of this year. I wasn't willing to become the second patient. I asked my surgeon about it. Mayo does not use the da Vinci on hearts yet. It takes about 3 times longer to perform the repair. My surgeon felt that being on the pump 3 times as long didn't outweigh the benefit of being less invasive. That's not to say that another surgeon wouldn't have a different opinion. I bet the da Vinci is the future. If you could find a surgeon that has used it numerous times, it's certainly something to look into.

The surgery and recovery has been much easier than I thought possible. I never experienced much pain or discomfort. I feel pretty much back to myself.

I wish you the best of luck. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Jean
 
CP,

Sending you all the best as you prepare for your visit with the surgeon. Of course your head must be spinning, you would not be normal if you weren't feeling a bit overwhelmed wiht your news. Be sure to bring someone with you to your appointment and write a list of your questions so that you don't forget anything. It is a good thing that you found this website because you will learn lots from those who have "been there, done that". I am not yet near that point so I cannot offer that expertise but did want to send you positive thoughts.

Godspeed!
Susie
 
WELCOME.gif


I just wanted to welcome you to the group, and add my thought that you should get the best surgeon you can, for your circumstances.:)
 
Hi cp,
just wanted to say welcome. They have always told us our son would need a replacement and know they are saying they want to try to repair his valve first, wishing you the best of luck in finding a good surgeon, hope you get the answers you need.
 
Thanks to all you guys for the info. After reading all the replies and spending hours on this site reading all I can I have gone from a mental mess to a more peacefull state of mind. I feel a lot more prepared for my visit with the surgeon. I am still trying to grasp all the numbers and terms you guys toss around. I probably in the end will follow the advice of the surgeon assuming I come to trust him.

Hope all you guys had a Merry Christmas,


CP
 
I agree with all the good things said about Emory. My husband had his AVR there on 9/11/01 and everyone there was wonderful. I also, had a chair that made into a bed and I spent the whole 8 days he was there with him. The nurses were wonderful and even talked to me a lot about coumadin and put my mind at ease about it. They even showed me how to give him the Lovenox shots so he could come home because his INR level was coming up so slowly. I cannot say enough good things about Emory.
 
More Questions

More Questions

I am gathering lots of good info from all you guys. Here are a couple of questions:


* Once out of the hospital and assuming all went well how frequent does your surgeon want to see you? Atlanta (Emory) is a good drive from home. Should distance to the hospital be a consideration?

* I saw a comment about "floaters". What are we talking about here?

* Is expecting to return to a desk job in 6 weeks reasonable?

* I am going to the gym daily. Treatmill for 35 minutes and light weights. I do not smoke or drink (yet) but love to eat. I am trying to lose weight. Any other suggestions to get myself ready?

* Is a sternotomy the procdecure of cutting through the chest?

* Anybody know tonight's winning lottery numbers?:)

Thanks for the info. Guess I will find out more when I meet with a surgeon Wed. (Jan.2nd).

CP
 
Surgeon won't want to see you, you'll be handed off to your cardiologist.

Some people experiences floaters or other visual oddities due to being on the bypass machine. It's normal.

Desk job, yes. Strenous Nope.

Stop trying to lose weight! You'll lose enough from surgery.

Yes the sternotomy is cutting through the breast bone.

No, but I could use them too if anyone knows. :D
 
cp172 said:
I am gathering lots of good info from all you guys. Here are a couple of questions:


* Once out of the hospital and assuming all went well how frequent does your surgeon want to see you? Atlanta (Emory) is a good drive from home. Should distance to the hospital be a consideration?

* I saw a comment about "floaters". What are we talking about here?

* Is expecting to return to a desk job in 6 weeks reasonable?

* I am going to the gym daily. Treatmill for 35 minutes and light weights. I do not smoke or drink (yet) but love to eat. I am trying to lose weight. Any other suggestions to get myself ready?

* Is a sternotomy the procdecure of cutting through the chest?

* Anybody know tonight's winning lottery numbers?:)

Thanks for the info. Guess I will find out more when I meet with a surgeon Wed. (Jan.2nd).

CP
Click to expand...


CP: Sure wish I had those numbers! :D

I can take a stab at answering some of those based on my own experience.

Best I can recall, I visited the surgeon's office only once post-op. Called his office a few times with questions. Usually, I think, you are turned over to your cardio pretty quickly to be monitored into recovery and rehab.

Time for return to work depends on the individual and the type of work. Six weeks might be okay if there is no heavy lifting or undue stress. Eight weeks might be more like it.

A sternotomy is the process of opening up the chest.

Being in good shape is a real plus, but I wouldn't worry much losing weight or exercising strenuously right now. Cardiac rehab is a great opportunity to get back into that several weeks after the surgery. I would rest and relax as much as possible right now.

All best to you in your preparations....
 
lotto numbers

lotto numbers

I'll take those lottery numbers as well.
My cardio will follow me in the hospital and my surgeon will only see me once after I leave the hospital at three weeks post op.

Good Luck
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top