Willie's Guestbook

Willie Radl  Awesome, I never heard of such a small incision without going through the chest. That's great you didn't have to deal with the sternum healing, that was the worst part of the whole experience for me. Glad to hear you are doing well and getting lots of miles in.

Chris Purvis  Yea man I’m logging the miles in but walking is only so much fun. I’m ready for pull-ups and push-ups..
Easter Sunday I did 700 push-ups and 700 squats in 60 minutes..that’s the speed I’m used too.
I see your lifting already which is good!

Willie Radl  I first met with Dr Greason who seemed great as well but he did not offer the mini-sternotomy which was something I wanted so I called back to the cardiovascular appointment desk at Mayo and asked for someone who had experience with the mini-sternotomy. The lady I spoke with said Schaff, Pochettino, and Cicek offered that. This lead me to Dr. Cicek who in my opinion was exceptional. He offered me all of the options possible, mechanical with mini (with caveat everything looked good after CT scans), Ross Procedure, repair, etc. but ultimately recommended the mechanical valve due to my age.
I think all the Drs at Mayo are probably great but if there is something specific you are after make sure to talk with the appointment desk to make sure you are getting the right surgeon for your needs/wants.

I'm almost 3 weeks out of surgery now and I feel great, my sternum is still healing but I think the mini-sternotomy significantly expedited the healing process. You can see some pics of the post surgical connections and scar in my photos section.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Willie Radl  Felix,
I'm doing great, all things considered. Sleeping has been tough but its getting better each night. I have been slowly getting off the pain medications and am only using Tylenol for the last 3 days. I will be starting a cardiac rehab program next week at a nearby hospital, in the meantime I have just been doing short walks, I definitely don't have much cardio strength yet. I walked for maybe 4-5 blocks yesterday and was pretty tired. I definitely can still hear the loud ticking but I am getting better at ignoring it. I can hear it just about 24/7 (watching tv, walking, even listening to music) but I feel like there are periods of time when starting to forget about it. I hope it will start to diminish in the coming months. From all that I have read it seems like our brains should eventually adjust and we should be able to tune it out. I'm very skeptical about this as its very profound at this point so I'm just hoping for a reduction in volume. Have you been able to get any sleep or have you had any improvement in the ticking noise yet?

Felix Cherny  Willie! On one side I walked 5mi yesterday 3 weeks after OHS. It was sunny an 75C. Today it rained and I stayed inside. I did short trips in the park in between the benches where I’d sit for 10min between the 0.5mi trips. On the other side, the freaking ticking is still there and bothers the hell out of me. Remember, I have 2 valves replaced, not just one. I do agree with you that our brains must begin to tune the noise out, but it’s not happening yet. My stubbornness just rejects “the deal”. I’ve been a “fighter” all my life. My natural desire is to fight this noise off, but I realize it’s a fruitless excercise. So, it’s a mental thing. I must admit, it’s the toughest issue I have dealt in my life, as I can’t escape it no matter what

Felix Cherny  I know it’s a bit late to ask, but I just want reconfirmation for my own sake. My docs flat out refused a tissue valve option for me. I’m 42. Have you discussed this option with your docs? What reasons did they give your for a mechanical vs a tissue valve? Thanks man! Wish you a speedy recovery, I know how tough it is!

Willie Radl  They offered me a tissue valve but basically said I'd be right back in same situation needing replacement in 7 years. They said tissue valves wear out faster in younger patients, and being 32 they told me it would wear out quickly. If I went the tissue route I'd need multiple surgeries and that did not sound appealing to me. Going through this once is more than enough. I also asked about repair and Ross procedures, they offered both of these but suggested against them due to long term durability issues. I ultimately chose the mechanical for long term durability. I think if you were willing to go through multiple surgeries and maybe hope for TAVR down the road that could be an option to get rid of the tick.
Best of luck to you, I know the tick sucks and I hope you can come to embrace it. I'd hate to see you have to go through another surgery to get rid of the ticking.

Felix Cherny  Willie! I hear you, man! I just can’t understand - we sent a man to the Moon 50 years ago, soon we will go to Mars, but they can’t make noiseless mechachical valves for us. I know I hate the ticking, but I have seen some posts here from the guys in their 40’s who chose the tissue valve for “quality of life” reasons. I can’t blame them, it’s their lives, but, each time they put you to sleep, open you up (minimally invasive or not), every time they touch your heart - it’s big trauma to your body! I’ve read long time ago, than an OHS is equivalent to the heart attach in terms of the stress to the body, and each time they put you to sleep has irreversible consequences to your brain, which might pot up 10-15 years down the road. Tough choices

Willie Radl  I agree these valves seem very basic for today's technology. I'm sure its only a matter of time until someone develops a durable valve that doesn't need warfarin and doesn't tick. Unfortunately for us it isn't here yet.