Patrick, I must thank you for sharing the above message from your cardiologist!! I am coming up on my 7mo post op of mitral repair in Sept. I find I am tired sometimes & get frustrated with it. I say to myself “It has been SIX months, I should be ‘done’ with this by now!” body time vs. head time … I find that a powerful message. And maybe I’ll now go take a nap!!!
Cindy

My husband had an aortic valve replaced one week ago, and his EF is 20%. It was about 35% 2 months ago. The doctors say it will probably improve somewhat, but I am terrified by this number. Does anyone else have anything to share about this?

I had my aortic valve replaced in October 2008. At the time of the operation, my resting left ventricular diameter was 42mm. At my last check-up with the cardiologist (July 2009) it was down to 35mm. I believe that 25mm is considered “normal” so I’m expecting it to return to this kind of level in the next couple of years.

Regards

Allan

It is five months today since I had my mitral valve repaired. My heart is still enlarged, but shrinking. My cardiologist assures me my heart will return to a normal size, but I need to continue to learn how to live on body time and not head time. His best advise to me was to sit back, relax and give into my fatigue. So my refrain these days is, “All is well, all is well, all is well in all manner of things.”

Peace,
Patrick

I have a few questions of my own. I was born with a congenital heart defect and had heart surgery to open the pulmonary valve when I was 4 (1951) and then more surgery to remove scar tissue above the pulmonary valve (infundibular resectioning) in 1989. I also had subsequent arrthymia problems following an Amplatzer device put in (2003) to patch a hole in my heart.

I’m concerned because this will be my 3rd open heart surgery. Also, there is very little info. out there on tricuspid valve replacement. I have an abnormal (maybe from birth) tricuspid valve w/severe regurgitation. Also the pulmonary valve is defective and barely functioning. My cardiologist at Northwestern Memorial hospital in Chicago is very good and I have confidence in him, but have not consulted with the surgeon yet. I’m being treated in the Adult Congenital Heart unit there. This is the 2nd opinion I’ve gotten about my heart condition.

I’m wondering if anyone out there has had tricuspid valve replacement. Most of the stories are about other valves being replaced and it’s often the first surgery… so, my case is a bit different.

It was good to see that the heart CAN go back to normal sized, after being enlarged, though! Wow. Who knew.
Thanks for the informative website. I have your book, too.
MJ Samer