T
Travler
Hello to all. This is my first post, however, I have been reading post here for a couple of days and they have been helpful.
This is all very new and sudden for me. My wife and I had returned from a wonderful adventure, whitewater rafting the Colorado River for the entire length of the Grand Canyon. This was an 11 day trip. The day after returning home I became ill, I thought I had picked up the flu. My temp ran over 101 for a couple of days. Then I noticed a red area on my lower leg. So decided I should go to see the Dr. She said I had cellulitis. She listened to my heart and and asked me if I had ever been told I had a murmurr? I said never. She asked if I had chest pain or shortness of breath? I said no. She was surprised, because she said this was a very loud murmurr. She then sent me to an internal medicine friend of hers. He did an EKG which was normal.
Then ordered an eco. When the results came back he said there was significant leakage of the mitral valve and wanted me to see a cariologist. This Dr did a TEE and said we then needed a heart cath to get the pressures and check tha arteries. This was done a week ago today. The result was: posterior leaflet of the mitral valve was severely abnormal and showed severe prolapse. A part of the posterior leaflet could not be excluded as a partial flail leaflet. There was a very eccentric jet of mitral regugitation. The ejection fraction is in the range of 60-65%. The coronary arteries had only minor, 20% luminal irregularities in the mid LAD. There was a severe, 3-4+ mitral regurgitation, but into a dilated left atrium. Right-heart cath showed PA pressures only in the mid 30's, but there were very large V waves.
The cariologist recommended surgery and said I could pick where to have it done. I asked him where he would have it done if it was him. He said he would use Dr Joe Craver at Emory.
So I have talked with his office. I am to have Pre-Op on Sept 18 and surgery on Sept 26.
My questions:
1. Does anyone else know if the test results indicate I should proceed with surgery?
2. Has anyone used Dr Craver, had surgery at Emory and have comments about them?
3. Since this is going so fast for me how do I get mentally ready for the surgery?
I think it is so great to have a forum like this where information is exchanged and such concern for each other is shown.
Hope I can encourage others myself.
Thanks John
This is all very new and sudden for me. My wife and I had returned from a wonderful adventure, whitewater rafting the Colorado River for the entire length of the Grand Canyon. This was an 11 day trip. The day after returning home I became ill, I thought I had picked up the flu. My temp ran over 101 for a couple of days. Then I noticed a red area on my lower leg. So decided I should go to see the Dr. She said I had cellulitis. She listened to my heart and and asked me if I had ever been told I had a murmurr? I said never. She asked if I had chest pain or shortness of breath? I said no. She was surprised, because she said this was a very loud murmurr. She then sent me to an internal medicine friend of hers. He did an EKG which was normal.
Then ordered an eco. When the results came back he said there was significant leakage of the mitral valve and wanted me to see a cariologist. This Dr did a TEE and said we then needed a heart cath to get the pressures and check tha arteries. This was done a week ago today. The result was: posterior leaflet of the mitral valve was severely abnormal and showed severe prolapse. A part of the posterior leaflet could not be excluded as a partial flail leaflet. There was a very eccentric jet of mitral regugitation. The ejection fraction is in the range of 60-65%. The coronary arteries had only minor, 20% luminal irregularities in the mid LAD. There was a severe, 3-4+ mitral regurgitation, but into a dilated left atrium. Right-heart cath showed PA pressures only in the mid 30's, but there were very large V waves.
The cariologist recommended surgery and said I could pick where to have it done. I asked him where he would have it done if it was him. He said he would use Dr Joe Craver at Emory.
So I have talked with his office. I am to have Pre-Op on Sept 18 and surgery on Sept 26.
My questions:
1. Does anyone else know if the test results indicate I should proceed with surgery?
2. Has anyone used Dr Craver, had surgery at Emory and have comments about them?
3. Since this is going so fast for me how do I get mentally ready for the surgery?
I think it is so great to have a forum like this where information is exchanged and such concern for each other is shown.
Hope I can encourage others myself.
Thanks John