Deanna's Profile

I was born with a biscupid aortic valve that was found when I was very young. I was monitored through my childhood and early adulthood and told that my valve functions very well and should need replacement only when I was in much older adulthood. I had my son in 2012 (when i was 27) and at my first cardiology check up after my pregnancy my cardiologist found aortic root dilatation and ascending aortic aneurysm. After a year and a half of watchful waiting by both my cardiologist and surgeon, they said it would be best for me to get my aneurysm repaired because it was starting to bulge (and I had hopes of future pregnancies). I opted for a bovine valve replacement and scheduled my surgery for 7/14 to repair my aneurysm and replace my valve through a Bentall Procedure. I choose tissue valve mostly because of my hope for more future children and my fear of being put on coumadin (at the age of 29). I was actually able to have a successful valve sparing procedure, as my surgeon felt with the aneurysm repair my valve could last as long as or longer than the tissue valve I have chosen. I am one year out from surgery and would say I have fully physically recovered.