Barbara Walters Recovering From Heart Valve Replacement Surgery (Updated)

Hi Adam,
I saw The View today too and wondered if Ms. Walters was having the Aortic or Mitral Valve replacement. None of the newspapers had any more information either. Barbara could sure use a copy of your book right now! We. the people with valve replacements do wish her well don’t we?
Best regards, Pat Cook

Pat Cook is absolutely right. Ms. Walters needs a copy of your book. I am curious about the type of surgery she is going to have.

Sincerely, Maria Williams

Do we know where the surgery will be?

Boy,our ,”ZIPPER club” is getting lager by the minute…. My prayers go to Barbara and everyone having surgery in the near future.

Barbara Walters surgery covers her aortic stenosis. I wish her a fine recovery.
My question is, will she get a mechanical valve or one from an animal and who decides this.

Aoritc for Barbara Walters-same as Mr. Baseball Bob Uker two weeks ago.

Everybody is entitled to their privacy on their health conditions but I am glad that Ms. Walters has decided to go public about her Aortic Valve Stenosis. Her decision will help countless senior citizens and their families become acutely aware of this condition and its life saving surgical treatment. That’s what is known as the “celebrity effect”. Aortic stenosis is a very common and deadly disease (if left untreated) among our elderly population and surgery is often denied to otherwise functional and sharp minded patients solely because of their advanced age. Ms. Walters is 80 years old and I am sure we all agree on her choice to have her aortic valve replaced before it is too late. My best wishes to her for a prompt recovery and a quick return to her life style and good health

Giovanni B. Ciuffo, MD
http://www.bigappleheartsurgery.com

Our Heartfelt Wishes for a Speedy Recovery To You!
My Boyfriend had Arotic Valve Repalced due to a Heart Attack.
He recovered and was back to work in three months.
The worst for him is the blood thinner Coumindin. His Valve is Titianum.
He told that the wires they use to hold the chest together may brother You.
Filling with fuild was also a problem. You should have no problem.
Our Prayers for a Speedy recovery to You.

Gloria Preston and Glen Woolsey

i am writing for my father who just had aortic valve replacement (cow valve) and triple bypass surgery. he waited until he was up against the wall. it is a miracle he survived the surgery, recovered so quickly, had a few complications but left the hospital 7 days after and is now one week into rehab and they hope to have him leaving next monday. he got your book one day before the appointment to discuss the procedure with the surgeon and read it within the hour.(thank goodness, since he was admitted to the hospital after the appt.) i do believe this gave him the confidence to go thru with everything !! He is 81 years old with CLL and kidney disease. My father worked out at Bally’s every day of the week until a few months before the surgery. he was in ICU for only 28 hours after surgery. it is amazing how well he is doing considering he was in heart failure days before the surgery. his surgeon was Dr Peter Horneffer in Towson, MD and my father loved him. Your book was very helpful !!

I am a 61 yo male who just had aortic valve, root and ascending aorta replacement May 11th. I am now 2 weeks post-op. I am active outdoors, so after reviewing the information on this web site, participating in the chat room with Mark Gillinov at the Cleveland CLinic, and of course consulting with my surgeon, Dr. Prem Shekar at Brigham and Women’s in Boston, I had a Carpentier-Edwards Magna bovine valve installed. I didn’t want to deal with Coumadin on a long-term basis. Because I went into aortic fibrillation a couple days post-op (when the wires were removed), I need to take Coumadin for a few weeks until I am past the risk of a re-occurance of the a-fib. The a-fib was resovled by cardioversion (defibrillator – not awake) as it would not resolve with 24 hours on IV meds. I was hospitalized a total of 7 days. I am now walking a mile at a time at my home on a fair grade in one direction.

I had an allergic reaction to Amiodarone (rash, visual halos, nausea) so it was discontinued upon return home by my primary care provider in consultation with Dr Shekar. This med is to help prevent a re-occurance of the a-fib.

Having worked in healthcare for over 40 years, several of those as a nurse/EMT and surgical technologist (yes, I scrubbed on some open-heart cases during my training in the 70’s), I can confidently state that the work and care that I received by Dr. Prem Shekar and the staff of Brigham and Women’s hospital in Boston was SUPER.

My incision was closed with a running subcuticular suture (not staples), so it is neat and healing well.

Incidentally, my 85 yo mother-in-law had a percutaneous arotic valve replacement a month ago and is doing well (also at Brigham and Women’s in Boston).

I am having those “sternal clicks” occasionally, but they are not painful. They are just a reminder to not do 200 lb bench presses for a while :-).

I am a runner, paddler, cyclist, rock/ice climber, hiker so I am looking forward to getting back into the shape that was in a few years ago. I used to do triathlons, but this past year I had all I could do to run a mile. Dr Shekar says my aortic valve, on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being perfect, was about an 8.

Many thanks to Adam and his book and web site. The information that I gleaned from these sources was invaluable in helping me to make the best decision for my surgery and have a good perspective on what my expectations for recovery should be.

Barbara, you have a lot of fans in Canada, we wish you well. I had a mitral valve replacement (mechanical valve) 4 years ago, it has given me a new lease on life. It’s amazing the new technology they have now to preserve our hearts. Wishing you well from Canada, and remember “it will get better”.
Sincerely,
Pauline Souilliere

Thanks to all of you, and to Adam, for this invaluable website. I am a 67 year old male with aortic stenosis and long-term atrial fibrillation. I am facing aortic valve replacement in the near future. I am asympotmatic but my valve is at .8 centimeters (severe). I am hoping to get a tissue valve and have minimally invasive surgery. I have been told that the minimally invasive option is not advised when you also have long-term atrial fibrillation. Has anyone had any experience with this.

Thanks very much.

Jim