D
Donald
It's been a while since my first post in July New Member - Introduction that outlines the problems with my enlarged aortic root.
I met with my cardiologist on Aug 4th. He said he presented my case to a group of cardiologists and surgeons he meets with, and they all agreed that I should move forward with surgery to replace the aortic root and valve.
Here is a picture of the Aaorta and it's relationship to the aortic valve. One bit of good news I learned, is that my enlargement (Aneurysm) is between the aorta valve and the three upper torso arteries at the top of the arch. This means a less invasive surgery since the torso arteries will not have to be reconnected.
Moving forward, my cardiologist admitted me into the local hospital on August 6th for a Cardiac Cathererization; standard operating procedure for open heart surgery. Normally, this is a one-day out-patient procedure, but since I am on a blood thinner (Coumadin), it is necessary to go off the thinner, and use Heparin to prevent clotting in my Starr valve; I was tethered to an IV for the entire 6 day hospital stay. The good news is that my arteries are clear.
The big question is always, should I have this surgery? I ask my cardiologist what I should expect if I choose not to correct this problem. A tough question for sure, but he said 1-3 years. I have decided to put my faith in the Starr-Wood surgeons in Portland Oregon. Dr. Starr performed my original surgery nearly 30 years ago. He's my hero!
At this time I am waiting to hear from Starr-Wood for an appointment, to see if they agree that I should have surgery, now or later. Wishful thinking - I know!
-Don
I met with my cardiologist on Aug 4th. He said he presented my case to a group of cardiologists and surgeons he meets with, and they all agreed that I should move forward with surgery to replace the aortic root and valve.
Here is a picture of the Aaorta and it's relationship to the aortic valve. One bit of good news I learned, is that my enlargement (Aneurysm) is between the aorta valve and the three upper torso arteries at the top of the arch. This means a less invasive surgery since the torso arteries will not have to be reconnected.
Moving forward, my cardiologist admitted me into the local hospital on August 6th for a Cardiac Cathererization; standard operating procedure for open heart surgery. Normally, this is a one-day out-patient procedure, but since I am on a blood thinner (Coumadin), it is necessary to go off the thinner, and use Heparin to prevent clotting in my Starr valve; I was tethered to an IV for the entire 6 day hospital stay. The good news is that my arteries are clear.
The big question is always, should I have this surgery? I ask my cardiologist what I should expect if I choose not to correct this problem. A tough question for sure, but he said 1-3 years. I have decided to put my faith in the Starr-Wood surgeons in Portland Oregon. Dr. Starr performed my original surgery nearly 30 years ago. He's my hero!
At this time I am waiting to hear from Starr-Wood for an appointment, to see if they agree that I should have surgery, now or later. Wishful thinking - I know!
-Don
