Jane Cunningham - Heart Valve Journal

My Journal

2281 days ago

Help. Met my surgeon today for my AVR and he is explaining that my aortic valve is small, so to anticipate TARV in my future years he needs to enlarge my annulus(?). ...Read more

Help. Met my surgeon today for my AVR and he is explaining that my aortic valve is small, so to anticipate TARV in my future years he needs to enlarge my annulus(?). So that he can insert a larger valve. My valve is an 18 or 19 and he would like to be able to get a 21 or 23 in there. I'm freaking out - I've never heard of this. Anyone have experience or can help me understand this better?

Judy S Hi Jane! It sounds like the surgeon is anticipating an open heart surgery to replace your current aor ... Read more

Judy S Hi Jane! It sounds like the surgeon is anticipating an open heart surgery to replace your current aortic valve and is planning that you will do TAVR in the future when the first valve replacement wears out. At your age, you are likely to outlive a tissue valve (if you were to choose a mechanical valve that would last a lifetime but you would have to be on blood thinners for the rest of your life.) I asked my surgeon about the size of the valve he was going to give me because I’m younger and wanted the option of TAVR when my new tissue valve wears out. I got a 25mm valve and he had to do something to make it fit properly. This will enable me to have a “valve in valve” replacement via the trans catheter method when it is perfected in future. I don’t know if it is exactly the same as your situation but it sounds similar. I’m talking to my surgeon tomorrow to hear how my new valve looks on a baseline echocardiogram. I also had a bicuspid valve.

Jane Cunninghamposted a journal

2295 days ago

Rob Sparling, Jennifer John, Shannon Gray and 2 others reacted to this

I saw Dr Cotts - the head of the Adult Congenital Heart Disease group at University of Michigan yesterday after my echo. While I've know for 16 years that ...Read more

I saw Dr Cotts - the head of the Adult Congenital Heart Disease group at University of Michigan yesterday after my echo. While I've know for 16 years that my time would eventually come, while I've know for the past 2 years that my physical abilities were declining in noticeable ways - it was still very surreal to hear that I'm being referred to a surgeon. I'm ready -- I'm not ready. My main symptom is just severe fatigue - at 61 - I am no longer living the active lifestyle that I should be able too. Any activity leaves me tired and wiped out. I'm missing out on life. A 14 day heart monitor (a first for me) also showed that my heart is skipping 2 to 3 beats at a time and then "kicks" in with a thud, and also times when 5 or 6 beats are rapid and then slow way down. I finally became a grandmother in March - and I plan to stick around and see that baby grow up. I believe God is placing me just where I belong and is putting everything in place. The logistics are tricky - I have all my family in Michigan but I live in Florida - so all that has to be worked out.

Rob Sparling Jane, welcome! Great attitude! You were patient and methodical to get to this stage after 16 years! ... Read more

Rob Sparling Jane, welcome! Great attitude! You were patient and methodical to get to this stage after 16 years! You’ll get the logistics worked out and the UMich team will get your situation worked out! Grandbaby is a good way to focus on how sweet and delicate life is and gives a great reason to get this behind you! 👍