Adam’s Heart Valve Surgery Blog

My inbox just received an email that I can relate too.

The email reads, “Adam, What are the symptoms of bacterial endocarditis? Is chest pain a symptom of endocarditis?”

Before I dive straight into the answer, you should know that I was initially diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve as a little boy. I think I was five years old when I learned about my heart murmur.

From that moment on, I had to pre-medicate every time I saw the dentist. My mom told me it was very, very, very important to take medication every time I went for a cleaning or a cavity filling.

Now, I don’t like the dentist to begin with… So, this just added to my resistance.

At the time, I had no idea that my parents and dentist were protecting me from the problems of bacterial endocarditis. For those of you who don’t know, bacterial endocarditis is an infection of the heart’s inner lining (endocardium) or the heart valves. Problems of bacterial endocarditis can damage or even destroy your heart valves.

According to the American Heart Association, there are about 29,000 cases of endocarditis diagnosed a year.

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Ready to scratch your head?

Okay… Here’s the question.

“What is the average cost of aortic valve surgery?”

If you know the answer, feel free to skip this blog. But, if you are curious to know about aortic valve replacement costs, please keep reading.

So you know… When I began preparing for my heart valve replacement surgery in 2005, my perspective on money instantly changed.

Following my diagnosis (aortic stenosis and regurgitation), there were no longer any thoughts about the future value of money - including retirement.

Instead, I started thinking about the now. THE RIGHT NOW! I remember thinking, “I don’t care what it costs, I want to find the best heart surgeon to operate on me.”

After my surgery, I began researching many topics to include in my book, The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. One of those topics was the costs of heart valve surgery including aortic valve replacement costs.

Guess what I found? Very little.

Although frustrating, I continued my search to find the average cost of aortic valve surgery. My tenacity paid off and data began to appear on the topic of aortic valve replacement costs.

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Question Topic: PISA Mitral Regurgitation

Let’s all remember that I am heart valve surgery patient. I am not a cardiologist or a cardiac surgeon. That said, every once and a while I get emails about topics that are very technical, very scientific and very tough for me to answer.

Guess what? That’s great!!!! I love it. I like learning about all the different elements of heart surgery.

One of the more technical questions that arrived in my inbox was about PISA mitral regurgitation. “What the heck is that?” you may be wondering. Well, let me explain as best I can.

There are many diagnostic processes to determine the severity of mitral valve regurgitation. A doctor can review the patient’s symptoms or the doctor can utilize a series of tests to diagnose mitral regurgitation. Electrocardiograms, x-rays, and echocardiograms are popular tests used to determine the problems of bloodflow through the heart valves.

FYI, I had two echocardiograms to confirm my need for aortic valve replacement. (Pssst! Please. Please. Don’t forget to get a second opinion - click here to find out why!!!)

Now for the scientific stuff about PISA mitral regurgitation:

The degree of severity of mitral regurgitation can be quantified by the percentage of the left ventricular stroke volume that regurgitates into the left atrium (also known as the regurgitant fraction).

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Hey everybody,

When it comes to a successful open heart surgery recovery program, cardiac rehab exercise is critical. Although your cardiologist and surgeon may have a cardiac rehab program already lined up for you post-operation, you may want to find your own cardiac rehab center.

“Why do I care so much about helping you find the right cardiac recovery program?”

Well, after my surgery… Neither my surgeon or cardiologist suggested a cardiac rehab exercise program for me. At eight weeks after my open heart surgery, the result of not attending a cardiac rehab center was devastating. My upper chest was a mess. Specifically, my incision area was incredibly sore and my physical confidence was gone.

I think because I was on the younger side of open heart surgery patients (33 years old), my doctors felt I would “snap-back” into shape. That was a faulty assumption in my case. (FYI, I learned a lot about this while doing research for my book. In actuality, only 49% of patients register and attend cardiac rehab programs during their recovery. In my opinion, cardiac rehab exercise is a must for an efficient and healthy recovery from open heart surgery.)

Anyways, my mom and I located a cardiac rehab progam after consulting with a pain management specialist.

Adam At Torrance Memorial Cardiac Rehab Program

Not only will a good cardiac rehab program stimulate your healing, the mental benefits of spending time with other cardiac surgery patients is very inviting, supportive and… FUN! My cardiac rehab center was at Torrance Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles. The cardiac rehab center was a phenomenal facility with very supportive cardiac nurses and over 100, recovering heart patients.

Some of the patients had angioplasty, some patients had heart valve repair and some patients had heart valve replacements. Sharing stories and learning from each other at the cardiac rehab center was a phenomenal experience.

I highly suggest you put “FINDING A CARDIAC REHAB PROGRAM” at the top of your to-do list for your open heart surgery recovery. Let me know if you need any help finding a cardiac rehab center near you.

Keep on tickin!

About The Author: Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. This unique book integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of 78 former valve surgery patients to help patients and caregivers better understand the opportunities and challenges of heart valve surgery. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.