About Me (In My Own Words)
I was diagnosed with aortic stenosis in 2021. We have been monitoring the progression of the stenosis and it is now time for surgery as I have reached the "severe" stage. I am 62 years old and I work out in classes at the health club about 4 days/week.
I am just starting to get symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath when doing stairs, and diminishing exercise tolerance. The underlying cause of my stenosis is believed to be a bicuspid aortic valve although the echocardiogram pictures/videos have been a little inconclusive. Dr. Christopher Malaisrie will be doing my surgery at Northwestern Memorial in Chicago on Wednesday of this week. He will be doing a minimally invasive open procedure with a bioprosthetic valve. I was given the option to choose between a bioprosthetic valve and a mechanical valve. Ultimately, I decided against the mechanical valve because I don't care to be on Coumadin daily for the rest of my days. My surgeon says I could very well be back to the gym in a couple of weeks. I would love that but I am trying to mentally prepare for the possibility of a slower recovery. Does anyone have experience with the minimally invasive open procedure? How soon were you feeling "back to yourself" and ready to be active again? Thank you everybody for your participation on this website. It has been very helpful in my preparations for surgery.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Crystal Lake, IL
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My surgery date is:
July 17, 2024
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I was diagnosed with:
Aortic Stenosis
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My surgery was:
Aortic Valve Replacement
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