Hi herman my name is kathleen my husband is hector was diagnosed with aortic regurgitation he needs his valve replaced he is getting a tissue valve what did ...Read more
Hi herman my name is kathleen my husband is hector was diagnosed with aortic regurgitation he needs his valve replaced he is getting a tissue valve what did you get how was the process for you before and after surgery how long did it take you to heal
Herman Kanter Hi Kathleen, Aortic regurgitation is what I had. My surgeon recommended that I go with the ON-X mec ... Read more
Herman Kanter Hi Kathleen, Aortic regurgitation is what I had. My surgeon recommended that I go with the ON-X mechanical valve. He did present me with all of the options to consider. The downside of the mechanical valve is having to check my INR every week with the home test and I will be on Warfarin for the rest of my life, Although this valve doesn't require too much anti-coagulation. I manage to avoid food items that contain a lot of vitamin K. I sometimes hear the valve ticking. These mechanical valves are supposed to last a lifetime and my decision was based mostly on not wanting to have another procedure. I think by the time the tissue valve would have needed replacement, I may be eligible for TAVR which would have been minimally invasive. After the surgery, I don't recall having very much pain. I had a brief occurrence of Afib, but other than that, I was out of the hospital after 5 days. The hard part was to avoid using my arms for lifting for 4-5 weeks. Sneezing, coughing, heavy laughing were uncomfortable for 5 weeks. I recommend sleeping in a reclining chair for 1-2 weeks. If cardiac rehab is recommended, then I would go with that. They monitored my heart as the exercising increased to make sure I was ready for this. Best wishes for your husband and you.
Herman,
What was your ejection fraction pre op and then what was it post op?
Mine was 59% pre op then 34% post which is scary - my bicuspid valve was shot ...Read more
Herman,
What was your ejection fraction pre op and then what was it post op?
Mine was 59% pre op then 34% post which is scary - my bicuspid valve was shot only 1.4 opening or less - now 2.9 with the mechanical valve - so major improvement there but now it seems EF is my issue
Herman Kanter Hi Chris, I am reviewing my doctors' notes: Before the aortic valve replacement: He has severe LV en ... Read more
Herman Kanter Hi Chris, I am reviewing my doctors' notes: Before the aortic valve replacement: He has severe LV enlargement and an LVEF of 64%. After the surgery: Mild left ventricular enlargement. Calculated left ventricular ejection fraction 56 %. Did you ask your cardiologist about this?
Wishing you only the best. You are at the beginning of a amazing journey. With the love and support of family and friends you will travel thru in a positive ...Read more
Wishing you only the best. You are at the beginning of a amazing journey. With the love and support of family and friends you will travel thru in a positive way and live a long and healty life.
Herman Kanter Hi Nancy, Thank you for all of your well wishes
Herman,
By the time you read this, you will likely be recovering....this is when the real work begins! The first day, you won't likely remember much. Day ...Read more
Herman,
By the time you read this, you will likely be recovering....this is when the real work begins! The first day, you won't likely remember much. Day two, you will be like, "man, this is a lot to deal with - so many tubes, I can't breathe well, it's hard to sleep, it hurts to walk and I wish I could shower" mode. But, you will also be grateful the surgery is behind you. What Alex said is true - the healing takes time and you have to be patient. If you try to do much, your body will let you know. You will wonder, "when will I be normal again?" My husband's advice to me was always to look back at day one and look how far you've come! I made him take a picture of me post-op (yes, with the tube still in) and I look at that photo on my phone some days - it inspires me to help others and it keeps me living on the side of gratitude. WALKING is KEY! Alex is right -- I walked within 24 hours of my surgery (a very non-flattering video exists of me hunched over a walker with rats' nest hair and pale as a ghost)….but I have walked every single day since -- over 3 years, never miss a day. It connects me to nature and keeps my heart healthy and my stress down. Just do it as often as you can -- you literally can walk your way back to health in my opinion. Also, use the breathing apparatus called a spirometer -- expand those lungs to avoid anything settling in your chest. Do what the health professionals tell you -- that's the quickest and safest way to get your ticket home. Let those of us in the community support you -- it is a road of two steps forward, one back. Not always linear. Take care and praying all is going well for you today....
Lea
Herman Kanter Hi Lea, Thank you for your kind and encouraging words. Yes, everything you mentioned happened. I t ... Read more
Herman Kanter Hi Lea, Thank you for your kind and encouraging words. Yes, everything you mentioned happened. I tend to take things in stride and I was determined not to let anything get me down. I want to recall as much as I can for future reference and I created a journal. After the surgery, the breathing didn't seem to too bad but, it really improved after the chest drainage tubes were removed. That was an odd feeling to get these tubes removed. Sleeping was difficult but, then I reasoned that I don't have to report to work tomorrow and this is not going to last long. After 5 days, I am out of the hospital and on the road to recovery. It was a fascinating experience but, I am going to do what I can do to avoid going through this again.
Good luck to you Herman. I was your age 2 years ago, and had my aortic valve replaced on a Friday the 13th also (October 2017). I was on a business trip to ...Read more
Good luck to you Herman. I was your age 2 years ago, and had my aortic valve replaced on a Friday the 13th also (October 2017). I was on a business trip to Europe--had infective endocarditis & did not know it, and had emergency aortic valve replacement in Geneva (they did a great job). Now, 2 years later, my heart & valve are doing great. Unfortunately for me, though, I'm getting a hip replaced next week, and then the other one in early November (osteoarthritis). Uggg! :)
The 2 things I would tell you are:
#1) It will take about a year for you to feel 100% again...you'll be doing pretty good after a few weeks, then even better after a few months, and then like your old self at about the 1 year point; lots of folks told me this & it turned out to be true for me / don't try to carry heavy things for about a year.
#2) WALK! Every day--whether you feel like it or now, no matter what the weather. Walk a little at first, then more as you get your energy. Walk several times a day. After a couple of months, walk for several miles. The more I walked, the better I felt. Again--many others told me this, and it also turned out to be true for me.
I celebrated my 1-year anniversary of my surgery by BEATING my 15-year-old son 2 out of 3 sets of tennis.
Well--you'll be waking up in ICU sometime today, and that will suck, but you will make it--hang in there & be patient as your body makes a comeback!
Suelynn Hanegraaf Couldn’t agree more! Lifting you up in prayer, Herman, for a easy and steady recovery.
Adam Pick Healthy, heart-pumping thoughts being sent to Herman in Minnesota from Los Angeles!
Herman Kanter Thank you for the greetings and kind words of encouragement. I find that taking things in stride and ... Read more
Herman Kanter Thank you for the greetings and kind words of encouragement. I find that taking things in stride and sensibly challenging myself everyday gets me through these kind of things. Infective endocarditis & did not know? I asked my Cardiologist if I could have the AVR as a result of endocarditis and he said, you would know if you have/had endocarditis--I did not always receive accurate information from my local physicians. I am sorry to hear about your hip and I am wishing all good health and many years to enjoy!