Yvonne's Journal

It's been a while since I posted. My Valve surgery on 10/15by Dr Luis Castro at Sequoia Hospital is a success. The heart rate holds steady and vales no longer leak. The surgery itself turned out to be a little more involved than anticipated due to blood-pressure issues, and a weaker heart than expected, resulting in a few extra days in ICU. Dr Castro repaired the mitral & tricuspid valves, did a COX MAZE procedure and removed the Left Atrial Appendage through a mini sternotomy. After that, my heart was a little mad, so a balloon pump was used to encourage it along, and I remained sedated an extra day. The pump was removed the following day and I was on the mend when my blood pressure started dropping. This turned out to be tied to my secondary adrenal insufficiency, which the Drs thankfully sorted out. I came home 10 days post-surgery and feel great. I'm being well cared for by family, and am walking 1.5 miles a few times/day. Still have some water-retention issues, so I went to the infusion lab to move things along. Hopefully this will resolve itself soon. I just wanted to say how much this forum helped me with both the decision to do this surgery now vs later (now turned out to be the right timing), and the confidence to know it would work out. I also appreciate the support leading up to surgery. Having spent a bit of time at the hospital, I have to say how impressed I am with Dr Castro's team and the staff at Sequia Hospital. Everyone I met was professional, compassionate, capable, and on top of things. While there, a nurse broadcast her zoom wedding which provided a nice distraction, and I even received a shower cap shampoo one evening! 9 days post-surgery I came home and am mending well.

Checked into Sequoia hospital today at 6am. A beautiful crescent moon with Mars at its side followed us the whole way. Cardio catherization showed healthy veins & arteries, so tomorrow's mitral Valve repair surgery is a go!

Here is a question to you have recently had heart-valve surgery. I check in tomorrow for pre-op with surgery the next day. My hospital's COVID-19 policy does not allow for visitors. How did you find the kind of comfort & encouragement family and friends would have offered?

11 days till my mitral valve surgery. It's starting to feel real. Any tips on how to prepare for the surgery & recovery? I am studying everything I can find, but wonder from personal experience what you found was most helpful?

I’ve had a heart murmur since childhood with no issues. After college I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and found myself in a year-round playground. Weekends were filled with Mt Biking, hiking, and swimming. In 2012, I felt my heart skip a beat every now and then. I checked in with a cardiologist who prescribed a RX to steady the rhythm and every year I’d check back. In July I developed atrial fibrillation and was advised to start a relationship with a Cardiac surgeon and that surgery might be advised within the next 6 -12 months. I reached out to top cardiothoracic surgeons from SF to LA (within driving distance due to COVID-19 travel restrictions). A friend directed me to Dr Luis Castro, who I chose for his extensive experience with valve repairs, his patient-centered focus, and his results. Surgery is scheduled for Oct 15th. With this all so new to me, I feel I’m in a bit of a whirlwind, so finding this site and reading that others are going through the same thing then resuming their lives is encouraging. Thank you all for that.