About Me (In My Own Words)
Hello, my name is Paige and I am 29 years old. I am going to need open heart surgery within the next year to repair the aorta aneurysm and replace the bicuspid valve.
I was diagnosed with a heart murmur when I was 6 years old. I was going to my yearly check ups and was told I would probably need surgery in my late 60’s. In 2019, I had a yearly check up and they were alarmed to see that my valve was moderate-severe regurgitation and I had an aneurysm in my aorta at 4.6cm. Now, 2023 the valve is relatively the same but the aneurysm is slightly bigger roughly 4.8cm.
I am American but I am living abroad in Italy because I am married to my wonderful and supportive Italian husband.
I will either have the surgery here in Milan Italy or go back to the US.
It’s been a rough journey for us because we were trying to start a family and we were told that I could not have children until after the surgery. But if I chose
a bio valve it will allow me to have children but I will need a second open heart surgery as soon as the valve degrades which is estimated (5-10 years on young patients).
I would love to connect with other people with similar medical conditions to hear their stories and help me choose the right surgery option between (Ross, biological heart valve, or Ozaki).
I’ve seen now 3 cardiac surgeons and each one have recommended me a different option to repair the valve.
Thank you and god bless everyone on this chat! It’s not easy, but a support group can definitely make things feel like we are not alone. :)
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Update March 2024:
Next month I’m heading into surgery for a bovine valve replacement of the aortic valve and a aorta aneurism repair!
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Milan, Italy
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My surgery date is:
April 10, 2024
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I was diagnosed with:
Aortic Regurgitation
Aortic Aneurysm
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My surgery was:
Aortic Valve Replacement
Aortic Aneurysm Replacement
