Shelley's Guestbook

Shelley,
Praying for your surgery today. I will be facing tricuspid surgery in the future, and will be interested in your outcome and recovery. Please let us know how you are when you are able, and give that beautiful baby a big hug and lots of love from us all! You've got this! You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Sending lots of prayers your way for a successful surgery on Monday. I'm so sorry you're facing this so soon after your first OHS, but at least you know the drill this time. Hope you are surrounded by a peaceful, calm spirit and everything goes well.~❤️

Hi Shelley!  

I, too, had aortic stenosis (bicuspid valve) and after a lot of research had open heart surgery and a porcine valve. I’m early 60s and very active. At first the options were overwhelming, but you will make sense of it and find the doctor and procedure that feels right.  

Everyone is different. I decided pretty quickly that I didn’t want to be on Coumadin, so that eliminated mechanical valve. That said, I know people who had mechanical valves put in and are happy with the “one and done” method.  Next I interviewed specialists in TAVR and ROSS. Because of the small size of my valve (they come in sizes! Who knew?), I learned that having some enlargement would help with flow, so that narrowed me down to SAVR or Ross.  I went with SAVR and a porcine valve with the hope that if/when I need another, TAVR or minimally invasive will work.

I remember how it all sounds scary, but it went well, wasn’t nearly as bad as I feared, and I feel great one year later!  And felt “normal “ in a relatively short time.  Scar is long, but not bad either.  I live in the Boston area (U.S) and talked to surgeons at Tufts at Mount Sinai before going with Kamal Khabbaz at Beth Israel Boston.

I wish you good luck!

Hello Shelley, welcome to our site. I hope we can be of comfort and information to you in your surgery journey. If you have questions ask away. Be well and God bless you