Anne Corrigan - Heart Valve Journal

My Journal

5 days ago

Morning all
I had open heart to replace aortic valve surgery here in UK may 20 23 in London at St Bart’s by Mr Ben Adam’s

apparently the surgery ...Read more

Morning all
I had open heart to replace aortic valve surgery here in UK may 20 23 in London at St Bart’s by Mr Ben Adam’s

apparently the surgery was successful and I should just get on with my life ?
well this I have tried to do with everything in my power to do so !
yet I have suffered from continuous aural migraines every day , chest shuddering continuously experiencing chest pain ! with very severe muscular fatigue and pain.
i cannot find any resolution to my issues from the medical standpoint?
Do any of your amazing group have any suggestions? apart from me moving to USA 😂

I have lost 2stone walk roughly 3/6 miles daily static bike 15/39 mins day yet I struggle to feel as the medical staff think I should feel 🙃.
Also do your members suggest having an Apple Watch to check ECG and fall detection as I’m very unsteady !
look forward to any responses
thank you 🙏

James Roberts I think you're doing great with that exercise you are doing. It takes a while to recover properly. We ... Read more

James Roberts I think you're doing great with that exercise you are doing. It takes a while to recover properly. Were you offered exercise rehab from the NHS? I can recommend the Apple Watch. The fall feature does work as my daughter found out when she fell off the sofa the other day :). It also checks for irregular heartbeats periodically and allows you to perform a 1 lead ECG which can check for AFIB though obviously not as good as the ones you get in hospital.

Yumiko Ishida Not sure which kind of “medical staff” is telling you how you should feel, but I suggest looking ... Read more

Yumiko Ishida Not sure which kind of “medical staff” is telling you how you should feel, but I suggest looking beyond your cardiologist. I think it is common to have muscular skeletal issues post surgery, and depending on the specifics of your situation, it could take a while to resolve. I am almost a year post surgery and still have joint issues that were either caused or aggravated by the surgery, including rib misalignments that is felt in the chest. I find my Apple Watch helpful. It’s always a good idea to track your heart rate while exercising. I used to check for afib all the time. Now I am not so obsessive, but it’s comforting to know that I CAN check it anytime and don’t need to see a doctor to be reassured I’m doing ok.

Anne Corrigan Thank you that's so encouraging happy recovery to you all

👋

Anne Corrigan posted an update

421 days ago

Hi folks
I had aortic valve replacement in May 23
it’s been a very hard journey but I’m so grateful to Ben Adam’s my surgeon at St Barts hospital ...Read more

Hi folks
I had aortic valve replacement in May 23
it’s been a very hard journey but I’m so grateful to Ben Adam’s my surgeon at St Barts hospital London
I’ve had to have the top sets of 8 wires removed as they broke causing major pain he left the bottoms wires in as the sternum hasn’t quite bonded
Now here comes my question ?
has anyone experienced sight issues after these surgeries?
Aura migraines Global episodes
sight problems causing everything to lose their clear edges and long distances merging together
I’m waiting on eye specialist appointment but I’ve looked at research that suggests it’s caused by the heart lung machine ?
Anyone out there experiencing these issues or is it just me ?
Hope everyone’s journey is going well
thanks
Anne

Klara Čičić I, and many folks here have experienced visual auras, more frequently right after the surgery. Mine a ... Read more

Klara Čičić I, and many folks here have experienced visual auras, more frequently right after the surgery. Mine are scintillating scotomas lasting for 15-20mins, happened daily after the surgery but now only once a month (I am 1 year post-op). After each aura I get very very mild migraine lasting for a few hours. They are known to be associated with valve surgery. There is a theory about mini breakage of thrombocytes and release of serotonin causing it :) still, it is advisable to see a neurologist and ophthalmologust to rule out other causes.

Marie Myers I have the same experience as Klara. Lots of visual auras and scintillating scotomas, especially afte ... Read more

Marie Myers I have the same experience as Klara. Lots of visual auras and scintillating scotomas, especially after my surgery. They decreased in the weeks and months after my valve surgery, and now i get them occasionally without a headache.