Heart valve replacement surgery
 

Yesterday I found out I need to have heart valve replacement surgery.

I'm scared shitless.

I've been having serious chest pains when I exert myself. Finally got insurance, so I immediately went in to get checked out and the doctor told me I need to have a valve replaced.

Anyone else had this procedure?

The good thing I guess is I should feel a LOT better after the operation.

Wish me luck!

I wish you all the best. Get well soon.

I am a CT Tech and we do cardiac CT at my work.

It is a "common procedure" and what I mean is...they do it a lot.

Make sure you get a very good doctor. Another good idea is to get your blood type typed and crossed and see if you can donate some blood before hand (so you can get your own blood).

You will be sore afterwards and will have to take it easy. Do what you doctor says after surgery.

Good luck with it and you will be fine!

One other thing, if you are overweight, try to lose a little weight and lower your BP a bit before hand.

Good luck! My grandfather had a replacement valve (artificial) years ago, and he's doing fine (other than the complications that come along with being an 88-year-old.

Do you know what kind of valve your cardiologist is going to go with? There are at least two options (I'm digging up some of my old College knowledge now):

1) Biological/Cadaver valves. Some people take issue with these, as they may be from a cadaver (dead human) or animal (usually pig). Advantage here is that its biological and integration is easier, and clot risk is lower. Downside is that you have to take drugs to prevent an immune reaction, and they may not last as long as mechanical valves.

2) Mechanical. There is a Ball-in-cage (more popular) and a butterfly valve. There may be others since I last read up. Advantage is that these tend to last longer and you don't have to take anti-rejection drugs, and if people listen close, they can hear a "clack-clack, clack-clack" coming from the valve. Downsides is that your clot risk goes up and you will likely be put on blood thinners long term.

All of these valves, depending on how old you are now, will need replacement depending on the valve and how much you exert yourself. Also, they are "passive" valves, in that they are usually not connected to the muscle tissue and rely on back-pressure to hold them closed when they should be. Sometimes this can lead to a leaky valve, though its usually not enough to demand intervention.

I'd be scared just as much as you if it were me. Wishing you nothing but good luck and smooth procedures, dude. :thumbup:

Good luck. Hope you can get back to tracking your BRZ afterwards.

That sounds scary, I had heart surgery for a different issue (only one corinary artery, and heart was pumping backwards), but I was a newborn baby at the time so I didn't have the opportunity to know what was going on or be scared lol. It should be a relativity routine procedure and not be much to worry about though.

Best of luck.

Wow, Mike... Best of luck!

Thanks everyone very much.

The doc wasn't sure which kind of valve I am supposed to get. I go in Tuesday for something where they run a catheter up to my heart through an artery in my leg and measure the valve (as it was explained to me) and then it's on to scheduling I think.

What is even more scary is the chest pains I've been having, something is VERY wrong, and as scary as having heart surgery is, not knowing, and having massive chest pains any time I exert myself is more scary.

Doc says I should be 100%, which is really all I needed to hear. This is a rough one to swallow though.

Now you can get a biomech tattoo done on your chest and have the valve actually worked into the tattoo.

This is stuff no one ever wants to hear. Best wishes to a safe operation and a speedy recovery!

That's crazy, do you mind me asking how old you are?

Either way best of luck, I'd be nervous too but I'm sure you'll do great.

I'm sure I'll be fine as well.

I'm 47.

I've had a murmer my whole life. The last few years I've had low stamina, which I thought was me being TOTALLY out of shape. That's gotten worse, and now I've been getting burning chest pains when I exert ANY energy, so I went in and got checked out.

Doc said I was born with irregular valve, nothing I caould have, or not have done, just time to fix it.

I don't think the murmur has much to do with the valves. You should be proud that you recognized your symptoms and dealt with them accordingly since many ignore them.

One of the most important things following your procedure (any procedure really) is to be confident in yourself and your doctor, placebo is a huge part of recovery.

Good luck and all the best!

Best of luck dude!