Hello everyone! I am 56 years old and up until about 3 weeks ago, I thought pretty healthy. I was born with a heart murmur and my GP says it’s gotten louder. ...Read more
Hello everyone! I am 56 years old and up until about 3 weeks ago, I thought pretty healthy. I was born with a heart murmur and my GP says it’s gotten louder. I’ve had and echo and a TEE done. Both show a very floppy valve and severe regurgitation. I go back to see my cardiologist in 3 weeks. Im hoping some of you can walk me through the next stages. Honestly, I’d just as soon get it fixed while I’m still young and strong rather than gamble with how my health might be down the road. Does this sound somewhat similar to you all?
Brady Busch Sounds like something I had,a mitral valve that needs repair.My aortic was stenosed also,so they did ... Read more
Brady Busch Sounds like something I had,a mitral valve that needs repair.My aortic was stenosed also,so they did a sternotomy,replaced that and repaired the other.Some people will probably chime in,about different procedure options and definitely talk to a heart surgeon or two.I agree,sooner is better.
Thomas Brusstar I knew my mitral valve was getting worse, but nobody ever said I needed surgery yet. But then my val ... Read more
Thomas Brusstar I knew my mitral valve was getting worse, but nobody ever said I needed surgery yet. But then my valve went “flail” where it kind of ripped and the little strings (chordae) that help hold it in place broke. Until we figured that out, my heart really struggled. My left atrium ballooned to 4x regular size because it isn’t built to take all that stress of the backwash. So I definitely wish somebody had told me to get ahead of it before it got worse. They repaired my mitral valve with an open heart procedure. My surgeon preferred it for my situation and it went great.
Rose Madura Hi Pam and welcome to this site. We will go through your journey with you. There's nothing like hear ... Read more
Rose Madura Hi Pam and welcome to this site. We will go through your journey with you. There's nothing like hearing you have heart problems. When you see the cardiologist, definitely ask his opinion. And I typically suggest a second opinion. They can do so much these days it's amazing. Your thinking thus far makes sense. And Brady's suggestion to ask what different procedures are available is great advice. In the meantime, do some research so you can ask good questions. Let us know how we can help. God bless you on this journey.
Susan Lynn Pam - If it is determined that you should have your surgery now, you will need to seek a surgeon who... Read more
Susan Lynn Pam - If it is determined that you should have your surgery now, you will need to seek a surgeon who is experienced in mitral valve repair. Travel may be involved to find the right one. Options for entry include robotic, minimally-invasive, mini-sternotomy, and sternotomy. The surgery to repair the heart is the same once they get in there. Your doctor is going to put a ring on it! An annuloplasty ring, that is, to narrow the opening and reduce/eliminate the regurgitation. Chordae repair may also be required if they are ruptured - think of sewing strings on a parachute.
There is also an option called MitraClip, but I suspect you may be encouraged to have a surgical repair due to your young age. You may also be asked to select a mechanical or bio valve if your mitral valve can't be repaired, but more than 90% are repaired by experienced surgeons.
You will need to have a cardiac catheterization to determine if your arteries are clear. If not, they will fix them while they're in the neighborhood taking care of your mitral valve repair. Believe me, the name is far worse than the procedure, itself! It's usually done through your wrist, but may be done through your groin, and sedation is available. You can be awake or out like a light! The actual procedure is about 20 minutes and usually performed on an out-patient basis. The longest part is the wait afterward to make sure there's no bleeding from the entry site.
Pre-surgical requirements can vary slightly, but in addition to the catheterization, you will be required to have blood tests, urinalysis, chest x-ray, carotid artery ultra-sound, and clearance from your dentist. (NOTE: Infections in your mouth can create risk for your heart at any time, but can be problematic during/after surgery). You will also require a COVID test before admission to the hospital. I had a minimally-invasive mini-thoracotomy, so I also had a CT scan with contrast of my chest, abdomen, and pelvis. This form of entry requires connection to the bypass machine through a line in your femoral artery above your thigh. They need to make sure the path is all clear before you can be approved to have this approach!
Before surgery you will be provided with anti-bacterial soap and mouthwash. You may be asked to use one or both anywhere from three days to a week before and on "game day."
I don't know if this part is standard or not, but on the morning of surgery in pre-op, I was asked to essentially take a sponge bath with disposable anti-bacterial wipes. While awaiting your turn, an IV line will be placed, shaving (if necessary) will be done, and your surgeon and anesthesiologist will pay you a visit before they scrub in. This is the opportunity to ask any last minute questions you may have. For example, I wasn't sure if the anesthesia would make me nauseous (since I hadn't had any since my childhood tonsillectomy), so I asked about that and believe something was put in my IV. It worked like a charm! I had absolutely no nausea after surgery. Oddly, you might think your stress level will increase in pre-op, but I found that I felt calmer as my scheduled time approached. Waiting in the weeks or months that precede your surgery are the worst part of this process and, frankly, I was ready to put it behind me!
When it's time to rock and roll, you'll be taken to the OR. Don't panic - there will be a group of people waiting for you and a lot of equipment in the room. It can be a little intimidating. The good news is, you're only going to be awake for about 10 seconds! Much to your surprise, you will wake up, in what will feel like one minute, and it will be over! You'll dine on the worlds greatest ice chips while everyone makes a big fuss over you! Ta-dah! You're in recovery!
That's the high-level summary of what's next, but it's important in this process to educate yourself and make a thoughtful choice about your care. However, don't agonize over every step - your surgical team will focus on how the watch is built, you only have one job - sleep! You can do that, right? When you're out of surgery - listen to your nursing staff and you'll do just fine. You'll be surprised how quickly your body will heal.
Please ask any other questions you may have! There are many of us mitral valve folks on this site just waiting to ease your mind. You can do this, Pam!
Klara Čičić Pam, as others have said, you want the best surgeon for mitral valve repair, experienced one. Timing ... Read more
Klara Čičić Pam, as others have said, you want the best surgeon for mitral valve repair, experienced one. Timing of the surgery is sometimes hard to establish, but practice now is sooner rather than later, unlike in the past when they would wait longer. To seek second or even third opinion is encouraged. We are lucky that we have repair as an option with 95% of faulty mitral valves being repairable :) you can read my Story to hear my experience :) good luck!
Subhash Chandel Pam, as others have said, prepare a list of questions and ask cardiologist/surgeon. Get a second opin ... Read more
Subhash Chandel Pam, as others have said, prepare a list of questions and ask cardiologist/surgeon. Get a second opinion too. I am not able to interpret from your post if its mitral valve or aortic valve that is floppy. If it comes to surgery, don't worry as in today's age, surgeries has very high success rates of above 95%
There is also an option called MitraClip, but I suspect you may be encouraged to have a surgical repair due to your young age. You may also be asked to select a mechanical or bio valve if your mitral valve can't be repaired, but more than 90% are repaired by experienced surgeons.
You will need to have a cardiac catheterization to determine if your arteries are clear. If not, they will fix them while they're in the neighborhood taking care of your mitral valve repair. Believe me, the name is far worse than the procedure, itself! It's usually done through your wrist, but may be done through your groin, and sedation is available. You can be awake or out like a light! The actual procedure is about 20 minutes and usually performed on an out-patient basis. The longest part is the wait afterward to make sure there's no bleeding from the entry site.
Pre-surgical requirements can vary slightly, but in addition to the catheterization, you will be required to have blood tests, urinalysis, chest x-ray, carotid artery ultra-sound, and clearance from your dentist. (NOTE: Infections in your mouth can create risk for your heart at any time, but can be problematic during/after surgery). You will also require a COVID test before admission to the hospital. I had a minimally-invasive mini-thoracotomy, so I also had a CT scan with contrast of my chest, abdomen, and pelvis. This form of entry requires connection to the bypass machine through a line in your femoral artery above your thigh. They need to make sure the path is all clear before you can be approved to have this approach!
Before surgery you will be provided with anti-bacterial soap and mouthwash. You may be asked to use one or both anywhere from three days to a week before and on "game day."
I don't know if this part is standard or not, but on the morning of surgery in pre-op, I was asked to essentially take a sponge bath with disposable anti-bacterial wipes. While awaiting your turn, an IV line will be placed, shaving (if necessary) will be done, and your surgeon and anesthesiologist will pay you a visit before they scrub in. This is the opportunity to ask any last minute questions you may have. For example, I wasn't sure if the anesthesia would make me nauseous (since I hadn't had any since my childhood tonsillectomy), so I asked about that and believe something was put in my IV. It worked like a charm! I had absolutely no nausea after surgery. Oddly, you might think your stress level will increase in pre-op, but I found that I felt calmer as my scheduled time approached. Waiting in the weeks or months that precede your surgery are the worst part of this process and, frankly, I was ready to put it behind me!
When it's time to rock and roll, you'll be taken to the OR. Don't panic - there will be a group of people waiting for you and a lot of equipment in the room. It can be a little intimidating. The good news is, you're only going to be awake for about 10 seconds! Much to your surprise, you will wake up, in what will feel like one minute, and it will be over! You'll dine on the worlds greatest ice chips while everyone makes a big fuss over you! Ta-dah! You're in recovery!
That's the high-level summary of what's next, but it's important in this process to educate yourself and make a thoughtful choice about your care. However, don't agonize over every step - your surgical team will focus on how the watch is built, you only have one job - sleep! You can do that, right? When you're out of surgery - listen to your nursing staff and you'll do just fine. You'll be surprised how quickly your body will heal.
Please ask any other questions you may have! There are many of us mitral valve folks on this site just waiting to ease your mind. You can do this, Pam!