Joanna's Journal

Susan Lynn  Joanna - Actually many of us have had minimally invasive surgery - I had a mitral valve repair done that way. We also have folks who had full robotic and TAVR for their procedures. It might be helpful to ask your question and one of the folks on the site can answer it for you. I'm sure you will find that minimally invasive procedures are specific to certain surgeons and patient eligibility. There are still surgeons who prefer the quickest way in and out which in the sternotomy or mini-sternotomy. Good luck!

Richard Buckley  I had minimally invasive mitral valve repair. I'm glad to have chosen that procedure, although I will never know whether the sternotomy would have changed the results. I've done well at 7+ months out.Important question is trust in your surgeon.

Adam Pick  Hi Joanna, Here's some info that might help you about Afib after heart valve surgery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L73AQaCS3do

Clare Auten  I had post op afib for one day in the hospital. Amioderone took care of it. I also had a couple of hours of afib more than 2 years post op. Already on a blood thinner(mechanical valve ) and beta blocker so the er gave me one dose of flecainide to get back in rythmn. Been fine ever since (6+ months ).

Terry Gillen  I experienced Afib also my surgeon gave me Amioderone twice a day, aspirin once in the morning, and Metoprolol Tartrate half a tablet twice a day. He told me 30% of patients get it but that it corrects itself in a few weeks he reassured me I woul be fine and taken off these meds as my heart regulates itself and I continue my Cardic Rehab. You are going to be fine Joanna I have talked to several others went through the same experience, God Bless you my dear

Darlene Smith  I thought afib only occurred in 30% of post op heart patients. Anyway, I have not had afib and I am 5+ weeks post op.

Thomas Santerre  I also had post-op afib for one day. It was the night after I was moved from ICU. What is weird was that I had two 3 hour stretches of great sleep that night! Since I have a low heart rate, I never noticed any difference. I also was given Amioderone which resolved it.

Jean Raber  Thanks for the video info! My mother's afib has never gone away. She had a pacemaker installed a few months after surgery. Her "electrician" can monitor her afib through a wireless gizmo next to her bed at home. She also had cardioversion this year. Felt great for about 24 hours, then fell back into some afib. Takes Eliquis. There has been some improvement. Persistent afib is debilitating mentally and physically. It's also very discouraging for some patients. I think doctors should talk about it more with patients before surgery.

Joanna Prisiajniouk  Thanks Adam for the video and all who have replied here. It is so reassuring when we pull together for our experiences. I can't thank you enough and how blessed we are for this blog. Since posting this I am happy to report that it has been a month and a few days that I am free from AFIB...what a relief! I was taken off the blood thinner Xarelto as well but still on my extended release Metoprolol Succinate at 100mg per day. I reduced it to 75 mg per day but my heart sometimes needs to stay at 100mg per day. I wonder now when I can be off of this med too. I agree Jean Raber, that not enough is said about this AFIB phenomenon before surgery as it truly depressing mentally and sure is an uncomfortable physical issue all the way around. My AFIB did not start until I was released from the hospital only to go into it just in the first two days at home--it freaked me out! Off to the ER I went and another two times after that within 30 days since the surgery. Now I am 2 months post op. Exactly what I was told if the AFIB is surgery related that most people will be free of it between 6-8 weeks. I pray it stays away...I pray that it goes away for all here experiencing this menace!

Jean Raber  I'll pray, too! Mom's a-fib was bearable until the doc put her back on amiodarone a few weeks ago. She really can't tolerate that med, so she has an appt mid Oct to see what the next steps are.

Linda Lloyd  Oops! I'm not sure--maybe my thoughts related to your questions for Maureen should have been posted here, instead ? If so, please check Maureen's guestbook (clearly, I'm not sure how this works yet :)

Steven A Husted  i think it depends on the doctor how long the cut is some doctors make a 6 inch cut and some doctors make a 7-8 or 9 inch cut not sure it may be the the size of there hands or some other reason maybe the size of your chest what ever the reason they do give you a new heart valve and keep your heart pumping blood to your body hopefully giving you a long life

Corey Sines  Joanna, I have went back and forth with the options on prosthetic valves of porcine/bovine material or mechanical. Do you go ahead and do a biological valve and hope for medical advancements in 8-15 years, or do you go with a mechanical valve that, while durable enough to last a lifetime, requires life long anti-coagulant therapy that will constantly need checked and adjusted and always be at risk for bleeding events that can be life threatening?

I do know with the TAVR procedure (I have seen you mention this in another post), the valves they are implanting using this procedure are biological, but aren't currently rated to last as long as other bovine/porcine valves. The manufactures of these valves are saying 5-7 years.

While you can do valve in valve TAVR treatments in the coming years, their is a theoretical maximum to this as the old valve isn't removed with this process.

Steven A Husted  i am not sure but i think so that is what i had done my aortic valve was replaced with a bovine valve and i had a single bypass they took the bypass from my upper left side of my heart instead of my leg and i am glad they did it was one less scar and cut i was scared to death of the ohs before but now i am not as scared any more it was really not that bad and if i really had to i could do it again with out being so scared hope this will help someone who is as scared as i was your heart brother steven a husted (popeye)

Joanna Prisiajniouk  Steven, Was your sternom cut traditionally (8 inches or so down the center of the chest or minimally cut or not at all which is minimally invasive?

Bill Harrison  I had a mitral valve repair and one CABG bypass. Because of the need for the bypass, my surgeon, who is tops with robotic valve repair, couldn't use that procedure with me because of having to do the bypass as well. So I had the more traditional sternotomy procedure 4 weeks ago. And I'm doing very well -- better than I expected, by far!

Joanna Prisiajniouk  Thanks so much Bill...I think that will be the answer I will receive as well. So happy to hear of your great recovery! Super!

Cathleen Weed  Hi Joanna, I saw on another post that you were wondering what type of valve to use and that your surgeon leans toward tissue valves. You mentioned you were thinking of doing the tissue valve with the possibility of TAVR in the future? Just wanted to let you know that I had a tissue valve and just had TAVR last August at Cedars Sinai, if that helps. TAVR was a miracle for me.

  I also had AVR with tissue and surgeon implanted slightly larger tissue valve so that I could have TAVR next time! Don't know about bypass but hope you get your answers. My surgeon was William Brinkman at Heart Hospital with Baylor. Very pleased. Best wishes to you.

Steven A Husted  hi joanna mine was a full sternum but was only about 7 inches check out my picture in my journal it was a bovine valve and a single bypass instead of cutting my leg he took the bypass from the top of my heart he was a very good doctor dr ogborn at prmc salisbury md

Joanna Prisiajniouk  Hi everyone! Thanks for all your replys ... I have learned so much from everyone and feel sorry at home with all! The support is so helpful and I appreciate it so much! I'm just getting back from doing more research and seeing another surgeon as a second opinion. Actually will be getting three more relating to minimally invasive. I am finding that there are surgeons whose expertise or style of treatment is different! I found a surgeon in NY at Mt Sinai who does minimally invasive for aortic valve replacement and one bypass all in one surgery. At Univ.. of Chicago, the surgeon also does minimally invasive but prefers to place a stent via angiogram procedure rather than do the bypass for one artery during valve replacement ..so two separate procedures to still offer minimally invasive (meaning no cuts to any bones). Statistically, I read that the percentage risk is lower doing a stent vs a bypass by 3%. Also, I discovered that the AMA and CASS do not believe that bypasses in general are crucial as the heart creates its own natural bypass! An angiogram will not see the tiny vessels that provide this natural bypass only the big blocked main coronary ones. The best way to determine blood flow is by echo (EF) and by doing a 3D CT which helps to see this natural bypass of which it has more radiation than an angiogram. In short many cardiologists do say that blood flow determination is what really is more important than to count blockages that do not give a full picture via angiogram. In fact one mentions that if you're EF is normal, no need to rush or do bypass! Those who have had bypasses feel great because it is a psychological expectation and many nerves that caused chest pain do not recover to cause pain again after surgery until months down the road. Too often these surgical bypasses get clogged again within months but they still feel great by the very fact that the heart had the natural bypasses in place most likely before the surgery. These are good questions to go over with your doctors. Anyone who wants to know about the surgeons I talked with, please email me at jp4insurance@aol.com. I learned about the one at Univ. of Chucago through this site and I am still waiting to here from Cleveland Clinic and have an appointment next week with Univ. of Chicago of which I believe I will be leaning towards. Also Univ. of Chicago does robotic surgery. Not every hospital has this capability. All in all I'm calmer but very scared and resent the fact that stem cell valve technology hasn't made it to the forefront for our heart family here. It is daunting how many by the thousands/millions are going through valve replacement on a global scale and I believe that having a tissue valve with "live cells" will be the future to truly replace the native valve that failed us to help fight infection and offer real durability. Please help to fight for this very needed research/funds to make this happen. Politics is our business! Blessings to all!

Tracy Groden  Not everyone qualifies for minimally invasive. I am 12 days post op and had my sternum cut. My Dr at Mt Sinai gave me a 4 inch scar! Tracy