About Me (In My Own Words)
I have a biological Edward's Konect Resilia conduit with aortic valve. I am 58 years old. Very active healthy fit cardiac strong life so far. My condition required replacement of short piece of aorta and root in addition to the valve. Thus the "all-in-one" device I recieved. This was done on March 31 of 2021. So far so good at the 4 month mark except the thumping issue I'm experiencing. My thumping has progressed steadily over time in the nearly 4 months since my surgery and more so since weaning off post op meds and returning to being physically active. It's a bothersome thumping, present nearly always but very much so could be described as comes and goes. It's positional, worse when I inhale and after meals, and in the morning. The sensation could best be described as not a heart beat of two lub dubs, but one strong thump every couple seconds. It can wake me in the middle of the night and greets me rudely every morning I awake. It's not even close to a click, it's a bass drum like thump/percussion that's felt, and heard, from sternum up to and between my ears. I have just recently returned from my surgeons routine 3 month post op appt, had follow up contrast crt imaging done, and have had one discussion with my cardiologist. The recent imaging I'm told was ideal, the bass drum I'm hearing and feeling seems to be very much disregarded by my surgeon and cardiologist to this point. I have a very strong healthy heart and am told it's just a phenomenon of having a strong heart and not being used to a stronger pulse since I unknowingly lived with regurgitation thru the valve for a long time. ???....anyway its something all valve candidates should ask their team because I was not informed of this phenomenon being a possibility pre op, and my team and surgery was performed a Cleveland Clinic Aortic Valve facility in the United States. They did a great job in most other aspects. I knew about the clicking from mechanicals but never expected this nearly constant thump I now have from my biological. It's quality of life altering at this early stage. I'm grateful my aortic condition was found and my surgery was successful even tolerable in post op and recovery. My heart was in a degrading situation prior and needed what was done. However my day to day overall quality of life is now below what it was pre op due to the thumping. Im told ill get used to it, it will go away, etc..even given examples of poorer souls needing medication to tolerate mechanical clicking, all these seemingly to appease me..So in closing I realize im very early on and am only just now reaching out in an effort to find more information on this, hoping it's something I'm doing or not doing that's causing it or how I can make it go away myself. This is the first site I've participated in and I will be reaching out for 2nd or 3rd opinions from other cardiologists as well as carrying on my online search for any helpful information on biological aortic valve replacement thumping.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Illinois
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My surgery date is:
March 31, 2021
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I was diagnosed with:
Aortic Regurgitation
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My surgery was:
Aortic Valve Replacement
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My hospital is:
Cleveland Clinic
