Deb's Profile

I did have open heart surgery as opposed to TAVR. I originally wanted TAVR but i went through many tests and procedures first to see if i was a candidate. Then I spoke with my surgeon who listened and I told him of my reluctance to not only open heart surgery, but also was uncomfortable with being on blood thinner's. Especially where my dog is always making me bleed when we play, etc. My surgeon explained because of my age at the time of surgery, that i would most likely someday require another replacement down the line. He told me he thought it would be wiser to do SAVR surgery now at my age of 65 and then doing TAVR surgery in the (hopefully) distant future. He also told me about a new valve where i would not need to take blood thinners. As I was digesting that, he told me with this valve, in the future, the replacement would just slide right into this valve without the need to remove it. Hence the ability to have TAVR in the future when this valve was not functioning properly. So, 9/11/2025 i went in for surgery…and still here to talk about it.😄 Very best of luck to all whose surgery is upcoming.