Jacqui's Journal

  Hello Jacqui, glad you found us. Keep asking questions as this site has many survivors of heart valve surgery and other heart deceases willing to respond and provide information. I had an aortic valve replacement and also Aorta aneurysm replacement called the “Bantall” procedure. Because it was a shocking news to know I needed open heart surgery, I found much needed information here. I had three opinions and had my surgery in Los Angeles,CA by Dr. Vaughn Starnes and had a successful surgery Thanks be to God and an experienced surgeon. First pray and put yourself in God’s hands, make sure your surgeon has done this type of surgery before. I had my bedroom clear if clutter, kept exercising as much as I could, (walking and gym etc). Know that advances in science has made this type of surgery more successful every day. Hopefully you have family and friends that can be there for you, to help you when you come back from the hospital. Be patient with your body and yourself. You will recover just takes time. God bless you

Rose Madura  Hi Jacqui. Welcome to the site. I have some friends in the UK so I know that healthcare is much different than it is here. I had my bicuspid aortic valve replaced, my aorta replaced with a dacron sleeve because of an aneurysm and arch repair. I had a lot of complications but always had trust in my doctors and the hospital. In the end, I got through it all and feel great. So stay positive, trust the doctors, trust God more....hopefully you have a good support system. You'll need some assistance afterwards. If you have any specific questions, just let us know. We atr all here to help you.

Frank Giovanniello   Jacqui, welcome from across the pond. The biggest thing is to find a well known surgeon that you feel good about. All Things Good