Allison Young - Heart Valve Journal

My Journal

2513 days ago

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Allison Youngposted a journal

2582 days ago

Bill Gillam reacted to this

I talked to an RN at Cleveland Clinic today and we scheduled the mitral valve repair surgery. Here is the surgeon: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/staff/22492-per-wierup ...Read more

I talked to an RN at Cleveland Clinic today and we scheduled the mitral valve repair surgery. Here is the surgeon: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/staff/22492-per-wierup •I will need to go up the 15th for tests and appointments on the 16th & 17th. Dr. Weirup, the surgeon, said so far I look like a good candidate for the minimally invasive robotic surgery(incisions will be on the right side of my chest, right groin side, and some puncture holes near my heart), but it has to be confirmed at the pre-op testing. •Surgery date would be early morning Monday Aug 20 •I would be in the hospital for 5 days, being discharged Aug 25 (assuming all goes as planned) •I would stay in hotel for a couple days and have a post-op appointment on Aug 27 or 28 and then be able to go home •Recovery time would be 4 weeks. Restrictions are no lifting greater than 10 lbs and no driving. If I need the traditional surgery through the sternum, that would be 6 weeks. She said as soon as I got home they want me up and moving around. •Since I am in my 30s, I probably will not need cardiac rehab •Russell called our insurance and Cleveland Clinic is in-network •I will be receiving a packet of information in a week or 2 from Cleveland Clinic Russell and I talked about the dates and chose August 20th because otherwise it would have to wait until Sept 19th because Dr. Weirup is out of the country in early September. The nurse said it was recommended to do the surgery within 3-6 months. There is a chance if we wait longer, Dr. Weirup's recommendation for type of surgery could change depending on if my condition changed, so we thought it would be best to have it done sooner.

Per Wierup, MD, PhD | Cleveland Clinic

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/staff/22492-per-wierup

Find professional and biographical information about Cleveland Clinic physician Per Wierup, MD, PhD

Bill Gillam Good luck! I also have MV regurtation and am reviewing surgeons. Currently considering minimally in ... Read more

Bill Gillam Good luck! I also have MV regurtation and am reviewing surgeons. Currently considering minimally invasive surgery at Duke if I am a candidate (no blockage).

Phyllis Petersen I had minimally-invasive robotically-assisted mitral valve repair in October 2016. My experience was ... Read more

Phyllis Petersen I had minimally-invasive robotically-assisted mitral valve repair in October 2016. My experience was very good. I did drive short distances a little less than 4 weeks after surgery and by the end of that week I did drive for over an hour, but it tired me enormously. I would not rule out cardiac rehab because you're young and fit. Even if you do it for a few weeks, you'll take fear out of pushing yourself and have a better sense going forward of how quickly you can progress. I was stunned at how much they had me doing at such an early stage (6 weeks after surgery). I quickly went from even walking to intervals and was doing some strength training right from the beginning, and moved up in resistance relatively quickly. I do need to warn you, some of the other people in rehab were a bit upset that they were progressing as quickly, but that's because they either had a sternotomy or heart attacks or other condition requiring them to go slower. They did come to understand LOL. Feel free to ask anything you need to know. If you'd like to ask more personal questions, please feel free to email me at fabphyllis@gmail.com.

Allison Youngposted a journal

2582 days ago

Bill Gillam reacted to this

I am 35 years old and thought I was in excellent health. Last year I participated in a sprint triathlon, ran a half marathon, and swam 1 mile in the Great Chesapeake ...Read more

I am 35 years old and thought I was in excellent health. Last year I participated in a sprint triathlon, ran a half marathon, and swam 1 mile in the Great Chesapeake Bay Swim. I exercise frequently and live a pretty active lifestyle with my husband and 3 young children. At my routine yearly physical exam in May, my primary care doctor heard a heart murmur for the first time, and gave me a referral for an echocardiogram and a local cardiologist, Dr. Yu. My results showed severe mitral valve prolapse and regurgitation. Dr. Yu had me undergo a transesophageal echocardiogram, which showed a small flail. I was referred to the Cleveland Clinic for mitral valve repair.