Surgery Scheduled for October 29th.

[Lucidus]

I posted this in the main forum but I guess it's better suited for here...


Hello all. I'm just a new poster here and I just got back from the surgeon and have Mitral Valve Repair/Replacement (for server Mitral Valve Regurgitation) scheduled for October 29th. I just wanted to run some details by you to see what you thought.

My surgeron told me that my posterior leaflet has the problem and there from the TEE there is no obvious sign of any chordae tears. He said it is most likely a repair job but there are no guarantees. If they do have to use a valvue, they use the ATS valve which is like the St. Jude valve. That's not the plan - but he said there are no 100% guarantees with medicine. I guess he has done around 100 repairs and studies with some surgeon in France who was apparently some sort of pioneer in this procedure. Do you know who I'm talking about?

They do not yet do any type of minimally invasive surgery, but prefer to have the whole chest open in case there are any complications. Also he told me I'd be in the hospital about 5-7 days and in the operating room 4-5 hours. With about 2 of those hours on the bypass machine.

He told me this is not urgent and I could probably pick my season to have it done, but I'd prefer to get it over with! I guess my heart is about 4-6 mm over normal in size but otherwise all heart functions are normal.

Does all that he told me sound good and normal? Do you see anything he told me that seems off base, etc?

Just checking! My wife and I feel pretty good about him, but you guys are such a great source of information!

Thanks much!
-Tim
31 years old
Mitral Valve Prolapse (since 18) with now severe regurgiation and a slightly enlarged heart with normal functions.

 

[SHerrin Hutt]

Hi
Your story sounds amost like my own. Ten years ago thetold me I had mitri valve problems. Everthing was great until about 4 years ago then when everthing fell apart. I started having trouble breathing. MY injection fraction went to 20-30%. The plan was to repair it. BUt in the area where I live no one wanted to take a chance on it. The rest of the heart was in bad shape too! SO after two consults and five cardiologists later they decided tosend me to the cleveland Clinic- thee repaired it with the congrove ring. He has his own web sight in CC. Then I was told it would last 3yrs. But they were wrong about that too.
I really never go back my engery. Well, 2 years later we were looking at another surgery. We were in the progress trying to get our HMO to let me go back to CC. In the mean time I had a stroke in Jan. and the valve effected ever thing. My kidneys stopworking
blood was a mess. They said the defected valve caused the clot and stroke. I had to wait two months before I could have the surgery. We decidedto have locally instead of going out of town. It is really hard on your family. I had my second surgery on 3/22 and it was the greatest thing that could have ever happened to me . I can't tell how much my life has changed. My was Dr. Pollock
at Norton's Hosp. In louiville, ky. He is the greatest. I can't say enough about and his group. They gave me back my life.