Tracy's Posts

For those heart warriors who had Bentall procedure, do you know if the standard measurements (listed below) still apply to us after the procedure? I had ohs for aortic valve replacement(tissue value) combined with replacement of the ascending aorta and the underside of the aortic arch with a Dacron graft two years ago. My recent echo still indicated dilation for some parts although these sizes are unchanged from the previous study done one year after ohs. Aortic Annulus: 2.6 cm (2.3-2.7 cm) Sinuses of Valsalva: 3.94 cm (3.0-3.6 cm) -- dilated Sinotubular Junction: 3.47 cm (2.6-3.2 cm) -- dilated Proximal Ascending Aorta: 3.89 cm (2.7-3.5 cm) -- dilated (4.1 cm pre-surgery) Are measurements outside of the ranges common and okay after the the valve replacement and ascending aorta graft?

Is anyone out there taking glucosamine/chondroitin supplements after the heart valve surgery? I had my aortic valve replaced with a tissue valve two years ago. Upon discharging from the hospital, the nurse practitioner told me to hold glucosamine/chondroitin supplements from my drug list because she wasn't sure about its effect on my new valve. Recently, my osteoarthritis of the knees and lower back is getting worse. I want to know if taking glucosamine/chondroitin would be bad for the tissue value, ex. making it calcified sooner etc. Any info would be appreciated.