John's Journal

Roger Perkins  John - I had 2 mitral valve replacements w.in 1.5 yrs. My tissue valve failed after one year. 4 months post-op. now for last surgery. Went w. the On-X mechanical valve this time around.

Yes, scar tissue (pannus) is an issue for re-do's (but not too bad for a second surgery). The link provided by Adam is excellent. The key is to get multiple expert opinions from surgeons who emphasize continuing research if possible.

I had minimally invasive the first time & sternotomy this last time. In my opinion, a person has to have both fight & patience for recovery.

This site is excellent & full of info. Was & still is a tremendous resource for me personally. I read on it almost every night. Let me know if I can answer any more pinpointed questions.

Barbara Wood  John, I had my mitral valve repaired 9 weeks ago. It was not a second surgery, but my surgeon likened it to a second surgery because of the scar tissue buildup due to previous chest radiation ( breast cancer 7 years ago). I was extremely nervous about that, but all went well & I was in surgery only 3 hours for the repair & a maze procedure. Feel fantastic now. Sorry to hear that you have to go through this again, but I do feel all will go well for you.