About Me (In My Own Words)
I was diagnosed about 15 years ago with a bicuspid aortic valve and enlarged aorta. I knew that someday it would need to be replaced. I'm 54 years old and in great shape. I am a track coach and on April 24 following practice I tried to run a few miles on the track. Right away I knew something was wrong. I felt extremely fatigued and felt pressure in my chest and back. I asked one of the other coaches to drive me to the ER. Of course they thought I was having a heart attack but I was more worried about an aortic dissection. Enzymes in the heart signaled that I may be having a heart attack but no blockage was found. Over night those enzymes rose dramatically and they checked once again for a blockage which they thought they may have missed. No blockage was found. They really had no answer and there wasn't a dissection so they figured it had to be related to the valve. I had to wait a week in the hospital before surgery could be done. On May 3, 2017 I had my aortic valve replaced with a porcine (pig) valve and a graft replaced the aortic aneurysm. I went home 5 days after surgery. 3 weeks after surgery I went into AFIB and spent the night in the hospital until my heart went back into rhythm. I am now 5 weeks post surgery.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Encinitas
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My surgery date is:
May 3, 2017
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I was diagnosed with:
Bicuspid Aortic Valve
Aortic Aneurysm
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My surgery was:
Aortic Valve Replacement
Aortic Aneurysm Replacement
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My surgeon is:
Dr. Jeff Tyner
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My hospital is:
Scripps La Jolla
