Iliana's Guestbook

God Bless you and your family Illana, I am amazed at what you went thru at such a young age and with a child. my aortic valve replacement surgery is now scheduled for 7/21 surgeon changed it from 7/16 due to emergency Unbelievable how your condition developed from an infection, did you have dental work , by any chance? a marvelous much less invasive surgery tavr is in the works, probably available in a few years to everyone, I was waiting for it but heart muscles were getting damaged so I could wait no longer, presently its only available to "high risk" individuals God Bless and good luck

Welcome Iliana! Wow, sounds like all of this really caught you by surprise! So glad you are doing great and the little one too! Don't over think the valve you chose. There was a very good reason for it, even if you do not recall all the details now. I am headed on the road towards a valve replacement soon, but have known for over ten years that it was coming someday. I had a traumatic brain/head injury 25 years ago, and because it still flares up from time to time have been counseled not to get a valve that requires life long anticoagulation. But you should have some good years with your new valve before it even hints at needing replacement. Google TAVR or TAVI. Only allowed now for high risk inoperable patients, this is a procedure coming down the line that is being researched by many. It is placed by threading it up transcutaneously or under the skin and up through the blood vessels to the valve. Right now it is being used only for the aortic valve, but who knows? By the time you need a replacement they may very well have perfected a similar technique for the mitral valve. Medical research is totally amazing. I spent the last 11 years of my career helping investigators design studies so they would have scientific merit with the most patient benefit and the least risk. Some of the ideas seem so simple at first, but are revolutionary. And one of the first studies done by some investigators I worked with totally changed the picture of handling the problem worldwide. So pray they stay at it, and perhaps you will have a comparatively easy procedure for your "next round" than the one you just experienced. Good healing to you, Heart Sister!

Welcome. Glad things are going well. I am 46 and got my new valve in January. My kids are 5,8 and 14. They did handle the surgery well. At least by the time you need surgery again, your daughter will be older and handle it even better. Wishes for continued recovery.