Shaula's Journal

Rose Madura  Welcome Shaula.  It seems odd that if your calves is severe why the long wait times.  How do you feel about that?  I wonder if you pushed them or called a different facility who is equally rated, if they could get you in sooner.  Please keep us posted.

Richard Munson  Be sure to explore valve repair as well as replace. Better option if viable. Find a second opinion surgeon  that has repair experience. Then weigh the options. Holter monitor is usually installed to detect a fib if you have it. If you do and you have mitral valve surgery, consider the maze procedure at the same time. My 2 cents.

J Alexander Lassally  Yes, Richard is right on with repair. Until the TEE is generated, it is hard to conclude things about repair/replacement. Make sure and have a surgeon skilled in repair weigh that option. Surgeons love to sell what they know and that is all... 

Suzette Schear  Hi shaula, I just went through this on Feb 23.  I also was diagnosed with mitral valve heart regurgitation.  I unfortunately joined this website after my surgery. I’m about 3 months post op from my OHs. There is a lot of support and wonderful people on this website.  I would get a notebook and write all your questions down.  My specific doctor wasn’t sure what he was going to do until he was able to see what was going on inside besides what the tee test indicated.  I was told it’s used kind of a roadmap to see and know where to go.  The doctor who did the test indicated oh it’s so bad they are going to replace it.  Your surgeon makes that decision. Then you get the choice of biological which is the pig/ cow valve or mechanical man made but you need to be on blood thinners.  For me( every journey is different) he ended up stitching up the prolapse ( kind of like stringy parachute lines) and created a new valve shape and actual repaired it. My surgery was 6 hours.   Hope this helps and keep in touch.  Sending best wishes during this time

Richard Munson  Repair is good cuz its pretty much all your stuff although the gortex strings if they use them to fix the leaflets are not of course. They always have the option of replace if its decided on entry that repair is not possible. JAL is correct. They tend to push what they are good at. Thats why other opinions are so important. Its also why you need to be the advocate for yourself. A self assured patient who is prepared when meeting the doctor is the way to go. Write the questions down as you tend to forget them on the firing line. My wife likes to bring her phone to write down the answers, knowing i suffer from CRS. 

Robert Miller  I am probably not adding much to what was already said but my surgeons didn't tell me I need a replacement, even after a TEE. Both said, they will try to fix it and see if that works. If not, then they will replace it. Your first choice should be repair, not replacement. Having said that, if you need a replacement, you need to think if you want a mechanical valve or a biological valve.