Update on my Dad

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HI Again

Just a little update, My parents met wth my dads cardio today for the heart cath follow up. Good stuff, my dad had good results from coming off the Warfarin and on the Lovenox and now his INR is at 2.6, the cardio was very happy with that because mydad has a thick blood condition, secondly the arteries are super clean..My dads cardio and his 2nd opinion cardio worked together and thought that the sooner the valve is replaced the better and after the holidays is fine. Next Thursday we meet the surgeon, I have already googled his name. Good stuff. So, myself, mom, dad and my husband are going to meet the surgeon next Thursday. My dad has no retrictions so far, he is still working and lifting and feeling good besides being tired. Thats all for now, my parents are worried still, I can tell...
 
Thanks for the update on your Dad and be sure to let us know when he has a date. He will be fine!
 
My mom told me to look this up septal aortic, that is what is wrong with my dad...thats what he will have replaced I think...I am not sure if I am even wording it right, but its the septal aortic...make any sense???
 
Met the Surgeon

Met the Surgeon

*Update* Today we met the surgeon. It was a bit stressful and also calming at the same time if that makes any sense. Well, he came in with his Physicans Assistant. Shook all our hands and started talking to my dad about his health history, which is long...thick blood disorder, stroke, and on Warfarin for 12 years now.

He told us he wanted to look my dads last echo, so he left the room and came back. He already studied my dads heart cath results and wanted to see his last echo.

This is what he came up with, mind you I jotted notes so I hope this makes sense some of it DOES NOT make sense to me.

2% of people are born with TWO cusps valves, not 3. This is the valve my dad needs replaced. Its not an emergency but should have it done within 6 months to a year, he is willing to do it next month. My dads wall is starting ti thicken a little, his Aorta is a little big so they will do a CAT SCAN next Friday and also a CARTOID ULTRA SOUND on the neck, I believe to check arteries.

My dads last echo is Aorta was 4.4, so they want to check it again with the CAT SCAN because 4.5 it needs to be replaced as WELL as the valve. Thats TWO things going on in the one surgery ( SCARY ). This test will show. THe surgeon said he has a gut feeling the Aorta might be OK but he still wants to check on it. If he has just the valve replace the surgery will be about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

MY QUESTIONS : HOW LONG IF THEY REPLACE THE AORTA? AND ALSO IF THE AORTA DOES NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED NOW, and just the valve, will the Aorta be ok? Does the new mechanical valve help so the Aorta doesnt get worse? I do believe the bad valve is what causes the Aorta to become thick...I could be wrong, HELP!

THe surgeon was really good and I am so happy he is having this test done to check on the Aorta first before going in.

I really was surprised we didnt talk about myfather thick blood condition, the surgeon seemed like he deals wiht a lot of patients on Warfarin pritor to surgery. He performs his surgeries on HIGH RISK elderly patients.

so, thats it for now, another test next Friday. My parents told me I dont have to go to that next week. I kind of want to but I think it wil be ok if I dont.

ANY comments, advice, insights, similar experiences is appreciated.

JoJo
 
If the portion of the Aorta needs replacing, plan on about 6 hours of surgery, maybe a little less. I'm sure that if when he gets in there, if there is any question or doubt in his mind, he'll go ahead and do it. He's not going to subject dad to another surgery if he doesn't have too.

I'm running around with part of my Aorta grafted and mechanical valve and I was supposed to be dead when it was through and I'm still here. Bear in mind, this is when my 4.7cm aneurysm BLEW. You'll have to ask God about why, because no one else knows.

I think his statement about 2% being born with 2 leaflets is wrong. I think that % should be higher. Look how many we have here!
 
jojofromct said:
MY QUESTIONS : HOW LONG IF THEY REPLACE THE AORTA? AND ALSO IF THE AORTA DOES NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED NOW, and just the valve, will the Aorta be ok? Does the new mechanical valve help so the Aorta doesnt get worse? I do believe the bad valve is what causes the Aorta to become thick...I could be wrong, HELP!
Click to expand...

JoJo,

Of course it's up to your dad's surgeon and your parents, but I would think that he'd do the aorta while he's there, since there is a KNOWN enlargement. I did not have any aneurysm at the time of my surgery, but one showed up 2 years later. It's definitely something to talk about.

As far as the thickening goes...it's usually the wall of the left ventricle that thickens with a bad aortic valve...not the aorta itself. When the aortic valve is stenotic (stiff) the heart has to work harder to pump the blood out into your body. Since the heart is a muscle, the increased work (exercise) makes the muscle bigger. (Just like lifting weights.)

Hope this helps.
 
I also had the Bicuspid Aortic valve condition, which I only found out about after my surgery. The cath that I had before surgery showed an enlarged aorta also, but my surgeon said he would decide how to handle it once I was opened up. These are procedures that are surprisingly common in the world of heart surgery :)
 
JoJo-

For your Next Class in Heart Surgery, you will want to read through the Bicuspid Aortic Valve and Connective Tissue Disorder Forum.

That will explain all about how and why the Aorta 'stretches' so often in patients with BAV. It should also convince you that doing BOTH repairs in the same surgery is WAY more desirable than doing one, only to have to come back and fix the other in a couple of years.

High Risk Surgeons, especially ones who specialize in Surgery of the Aorta, are VERY experienced with this 'double whammy'. The BAV and CTD Forum will give you a glimpse of how many of our members fall into that category.

BTW, the Chest CT or MRI are THE best ways to visualize the entire Aorta before 'getting in there'. One of our members posted a Very Dramatic Picture of his enlarged Aorta. After seeing one of those pictures, you wouldn't want to keep on walking around in that condition without getting it fixed!

Happy Reading!

'AL Capshaw'
 
Here's my first CT scan that showed an aneurysm of 4.5 centimeters

aneurysmaortawe0.jpg


and here's the fourth opinion CT scan that showed less dilation than before, but still funky looking. This time it measured 4.2 centimeters. I think it's important to note that aortic anuerysms/dilation don't just shrink or go away. The first measurement was inaccurate. Nonetheless, I posted these pics so you can see what an aortic aneurysm might look like. when you get in to the 4+ centimeter range, they start calling the aorta aneurysmal. At less than 5cm they're more likely to call it a dilitation instead of an aneurysm but it's just semantics.

uofmscansidewv0.jpg


For me personally, I'm very uncomfortable with this in my chest. If I was having an AVR today I would DEMAND that my aorta be resected (repaired) in addition to the valve.
 
This is pretty close to my situation right now: bicuspid valve newly diagnosed, stenotic in the severe range, with a 4.3 cm ascending aortic aneurysm. There is NO WAY I will have AVR WITHOUT the anuerysm being addressed - JUST NO WAY. I get a CT ANgio Chest Jan 6 then meet with the surgeon. I think I know what he will say already.

For a study that comes to the same conclusion see:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15791031?dopt=Abstract

Best wishes,

Jim
 
WOW, so you guys know what I am talking about, DUH...lol...Its really nuts. Here we thought, OK just a valve replacement, thats scary enough now the AORTA too. So this is common?

Anyone on the board have both replaced during OHS? Also, the surgeon mentioned the Auorta being replaced with something but I cant remember, it was not human tissue, something else.

So, another week without a surgery date. Dad is off to work again tomorrow...All I do is talk to my Higher Power.:(:eek::rolleyes::confused::eek:
 
Thank you Bina, thanks everyone. The waiting is the hardest part I think. VERY stressful. I will let you all know how my dad makes out from the CHEST CT SCAN, its next Friday for that test, then the surgeon will call us.
Thanks again. Jo
 
Hi Everyone and I hope everyone had a nice Christmas.

The heart surgeon called my parents today. The Aorta is 4.8. The Aorta will be replaced with the valve. NO surgery date yet, but we are looking at the end of Janurary. The surgeon is going away next week and once he comes back my parents will meet with him then schedule the surgery.

I know my parents are scared now with the Aorta being bad as well. My dad still feels fine but of course that doesnt mean anything, the surgery will be done and it will be done soon.

Anyone know anyone with a Aorta 4.8 and bad valve?
 
tons of people have a bad aorta and valve that have it replaced at the same time. Seems like maybe 10 or 15% of the valve jobs here are for an aneurysm/valve combo.
 
Thanks Duffman -what scares me is the whole 4.8. I did some research on my own and cant find many with 4.8 or over...My dad is still working, and has no restrictions. I guess all people/cases are different. It scares me, big time.
 
My dads aorta is 4.8 and needs to be repaced as well as his valve. We found out last Friday. I am so worried my dad is walking around and working with a 4.8 aorta. Surgery will be in Jan, no date yet but we meet with the surgeon again on Monday. Its time. The waiting it really bothering me, my mom and my dad. I am trying to be strong but having a hard time thinking about the aorta. I finally come to peace with the valve needing replaced but now the aorta too. Everything I read on the internet is yucky. A few members on here have been wonderful helping me get through.
 
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