Elyse's Journal

Pat Bluemel  Your age and diagnosis will help suss out which research to favor. Of course everyone would love to have less invasive TAVR but not everyone is a candidate. ... Read more

Pat Bluemel  Your age and diagnosis will help suss out which research to favor. Of course everyone would love to have less invasive TAVR but not everyone is a candidate. I read up on your bio and it looks like you are still trying to get a Cardio appointment? Have you talked to a surgeon yet?

Marie Myers  If you need other things done, like I did. TAVR is not an option. I had an aortic root and ascending aneurysm that needed repair. One of the advantages of SAVR ... Read more

Marie Myers  If you need other things done, like I did. TAVR is not an option. I had an aortic root and ascending aneurysm that needed repair. One of the advantages of SAVR is that it has been done for many, many years. There are lots of long term studies to know how patients will do . TAVR has the disadvantage of no long-term studies to show how durable it is in younger, healthier patients. Once you see a cardiologist and then a surgeon, you will have more info to work with. Keep us posted.

Rose Madura  Hi Elyse, from what I can recall, TAVR cannot be performed on anyone who has a bicuspid valve. Although once that valve is surgically replaced, a TAVR can ... Read more

Rose Madura  Hi Elyse, from what I can recall, TAVR cannot be performed on anyone who has a bicuspid valve. Although once that valve is surgically replaced, a TAVR can be done later if necessary. It has been approved for all patients and is no longer only for the elderly or those who may not survive a major surgery.

Adam Pick  Love this Elyse... The fact that use the word "family" to describe this community is inspiring. Thanks so much for being a part of this wonderful and caring ... Read more

Adam Pick  Love this Elyse... The fact that use the word "family" to describe this community is inspiring. Thanks so much for being a part of this wonderful and caring team of people. You raise many great questions about TAVR. As you may know, many medical devices often are "tested" on higher risk patients and then come down the risk profile. This is done to evaluate the functioning of the device in a methodical way so that we better understand the safety and efficacy of the new technology over time. While TAVR is a great solution for AVR, there is still much that we do not know about it - especially its durability. Here's an article about TAVR's recent FDA approval for low-risk patients. I think it might help answer some of your questions and shed some more light on this very important topic.  https://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/fda-approval-low-risk-tavr.php

Marie Myers  For me, TAVR was not an option because I had ascending aortic and aortic root aneurysms that needed repair. Doctors are starting to offer TAVR on younger healthier ... Read more

Marie Myers  For me, TAVR was not an option because I had ascending aortic and aortic root aneurysms that needed repair. Doctors are starting to offer TAVR on younger healthier patients, but one of the questions is how long the TAVR will last in younger more active patients. It has not been offered to younger patients for a great length of time, so no long term studies are out there in order to know how long it may last in younger patients.

Susan Lynn  Elyse - Good morning! We are a family and are happy to welcome you to it!

Until recently, TAVR was reserved only for high-risk heart patients, but that is ... Read more

Susan Lynn  Elyse - Good morning! We are a family and are happy to welcome you to it!

Until recently, TAVR was reserved only for high-risk heart patients, but that is changing. A surgical repair was considered preferable for those who were healthy enough to endure it. It appears that surgery is still being recommended the majority of the time and TAVR is often subsequently used for "valve-in valve" replacements at a future point in time for these patients when the initial valve procedures necessitate replacement. I suspect there will soon be a day when TAVR is the first choice for most patients as the procedure and recovery are much easier and less traumatizing.

Do your research - that's the only way to be fully confident in your selection of a surgeon, facility, and procedure. All the best!

Marie Myers  TAVR was usually done for patients who are too frail/sick to undergo surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). But lately , there are more places offering TAVR ... Read more

Marie Myers  TAVR was usually done for patients who are too frail/sick to undergo surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). But lately , there are more places offering TAVR to younger/healthier patients. I had SAVR at age 63, because I also had an ascending aortic aneurysm And root aneurysm. Like you, I had no symptoms and was very active. Different places and doctors have differing opinions on TAVR in younger /healthier patients. You would have to ask your doc to get their take on TAVR verses SAVR.
Yet another option would be repair of the aortic valve. This is not done as routinely in older patients, and has to be done by someone with a lot of experience in repair.
The cardiac cath will be done by the cardiologist of your choosing. Usually a CT scan of the chest is done as part of the workup. Hope that helps. There is also a Learning Center tab at the top of the page on this website, and you may see articles that can help you understand your new journey.

Pat Bluemel  There are a lot of dependencies and opinions on TAVR. It's important to remember it is not the holy grail for all. They plumbed me for TAVR w/ my first surgery ... Read more

Pat Bluemel  There are a lot of dependencies and opinions on TAVR. It's important to remember it is not the holy grail for all. They plumbed me for TAVR w/ my first surgery but it was not meant to be for this most recent. None of the 3 surgeons across the country I consulted would consider it due to my age (47) and other factors due to longevity, re-operation etc. Good luck w/ your research.

Nancy Chavez  I did have TAVR in April. I was 59 when I was diagnosed with severe Aortic Stenosis which was a surprise. I had a heart murmur since childhood. During the workup ... Read more

Nancy Chavez  I did have TAVR in April. I was 59 when I was diagnosed with severe Aortic Stenosis which was a surprise. I had a heart murmur since childhood. During the workup to replace my valve they presumed I had a bicuspid valve due to my age, previous murmur and how it sounded. Through the testing they found it was a tricuspid valve that was barely working. I was low risk but they found no other reason for SAVR so my team came back with the recommendation that TAV or SAVR would do the same. The “risk” for TAVR is that it hasn’t been done long enough on low risk younger people to see how long the valves last. The plan for me is valve in valve in the future. I am feeling great and my heart and all my levels are good.

Civita Fahey  Hi Elyse, welcome to the community. I hope you find it as helpful has I have. I didn't have a cardiac cath as my doctor didn't feel it was necessary but, from ... Read more

Civita Fahey  Hi Elyse, welcome to the community. I hope you find it as helpful has I have. I didn't have a cardiac cath as my doctor didn't feel it was necessary but, from what I have read from others who have, its not that bad. As far as minimall yvs regular OHS, that would depend on the surgeon and if he/she is comfortable with doing the procedure minimally invasive. If its a "simple" ( as they say) aortic valve replacement, they should able to do it minimally invasive. I would look for doctors who have the experience in doing it that way. A first, second or even third opinion is not such a bad idea. Let us know if you have any questions, I'm sure someone will have the answer. Best of luck.

Susan Lynn  Elyse - The cardiac catheterization is much easier than it sounds for most people. It's performed on most prospective OHS patients to determine if there are ... Read more

Susan Lynn  Elyse - The cardiac catheterization is much easier than it sounds for most people. It's performed on most prospective OHS patients to determine if there are any heart blockages in addition to our primary heart issues. If so, the surgeon will take care of everything while he/she is in there fixing the valve.

The catheterization is done most frequently through the wrist, but can also be performed through the groin. The procedure itself is less 30 minutes, you can have sedation if you choose, and the post-op time involves slowly releasing pressure on an inflated wrist band at the entry point. I was out within two hours - I cut an hour off by foregoing the sedation.

The next day, you need to take it easy with your wrist, but other than that, you should feel fine.

It's a piece of cake - just focus on clear arteries! You'll do just great! ❤

Ana Brusso  Hello Elyse, welcome to our site. My cardiac left heart catheterization was ordered by the cardiologist and it was needed to see how big my aneurysm was and ... Read more

Ana Brusso  Hello Elyse, welcome to our site. My cardiac left heart catheterization was ordered by the cardiologist and it was needed to see how big my aneurysm was and other things. I had no issues getting it and afterwards stayed in the hospital only a couple of hours and then was sent home. The Cardiologist determined that I needed open heart surgery and my surgery journey started. I of course was in complete denial and shock but didn’t hesitated to get as much information as I could and found this site and through it found my excellent surgeon. Had three opinions and felt completely confident with Dr. Starnes, my surgeon and his team, I’m in California so won’t be able to be helpful to you in North Carolina but do your research and continue to ask questions. God be with you and show you the way. Blessings

Pat Bluemel  Hi Elyse, welcome to our very exclusive club, it's scary to join, but you will be glad you did. I didn't have a cath for either of my surgeries. Each Dr and ... Read more

Pat Bluemel  Hi Elyse, welcome to our very exclusive club, it's scary to join, but you will be glad you did. I didn't have a cath for either of my surgeries. Each Dr and hospital is different. I suffered from very severe stenosis as well, keep things moving along you likely don't realize you feel really awful right now, until you wake up over on this side. Get a couple of opinions, the procedure will change your life in very good ways. Sending you peace.

john roland  Don't stress about the cardiac cath. It is a very easy quick painless procedure. I walked out of the hospital about an hour after the procedure. They went through ... Read more

john roland  Don't stress about the cardiac cath. It is a very easy quick painless procedure. I walked out of the hospital about an hour after the procedure. They went through my right wrist and you only feel a pinch. I was awake and watched the whole procedure on all the screens on my left side. The Dr. and nurse will talk you through it. It is easier than a dentist visit.

Darrin Vohs  Hi Elyse, Welcome to a highly exclusive club! The cardiac catheterization (or Heart Cath) is a procedure to inject a catheter tube in our artery and check ... Read more

Darrin Vohs  Hi Elyse, Welcome to a highly exclusive club! The cardiac catheterization (or Heart Cath) is a procedure to inject a catheter tube in our artery and check out your heart to see the situation and what additional work might be needed usually at the same time as your heart surgery. It is a pretty significant procedure in its own right but I was so worried about the heart surgery I didn't spend much time thinking about. Like the others have said you are sedated and it is over in the blink of an eye to you. Mine took 20 minutes in real life plus sedation and recovery time.