Wondering if anyone has had a Perivalvular leak after mitral valve repair surgery, and if so, could you share your story on whether it eventually went away ...Read more
Wondering if anyone has had a Perivalvular leak after mitral valve repair surgery, and if so, could you share your story on whether it eventually went away or not? I am 14 months post-op and still continue to have a moderate leak around the annuloplasty ring with my EF still 45-50% (EF is same as pre-surgery). The leak and my EF likely have not improved as I have not been able to tolerate any of the recommended meds (metoprolol, spironolactone, etc) so that has been frustrating.
Klara Čičić Dear Janelle, I am 7 months post-op and don't have perivalvular but rather valvular leak, 2 central j ... Read more
Klara Čičić Dear Janelle, I am 7 months post-op and don't have perivalvular but rather valvular leak, 2 central jets creating mild regurgitation. I am not sure it will go away. It could stay the same or progress further. There is not much I can do but take care of myself, stress as little as possible and accept the situation... I am taking bisoprolol and Aspirin EF is 55%. I understand your frustration.
Janelle Hurst I read your story and it seems we have (had) a lot in common. I had Barlows too and the surgery ended ... Read more
Janelle Hurst I read your story and it seems we have (had) a lot in common. I had Barlows too and the surgery ended up being trickier for the surgeon than expected, my surgery also took longer than expected. Apparently, when the surgeon talked to my fiance immediately after the surgery, he told him my tissue was "delicate"...not sure what part of the heart tissue he was referring to, but I wonder if the stitches or whatever they use to secure the annuloplasty ring could have pulled out of the delicate heart tissue and created the gap/leak around the ring. I always want to know the "why" and unfortunately we often don't get that answered. My cardiologist is ordering a transesophageal ECHO to get a better look at how bad the leak is. I am sorry you are experiencing a leak as well. It's hard when things don't go perfectly, but, like you, I'm just trying to accept the situation and focus on what I do have control over.
Klara Čičić You are right, it's hard when things don't go perfectly, but that is life I guess. Let us know how th ... Read more
Klara Čičić You are right, it's hard when things don't go perfectly, but that is life I guess. Let us know how the TEE went. I am pretty sure that the part of my posterior leaflet being hypoplastic or "strict" was the reason he couldn't get them "in line". Right away after the surgery both surgeon and anestesiologist told me that my valve was very weird, unique, funny, never before seen 🙈🙈😂 how annoying. Keep us posted please!!!
Janelle Hurst Thankfully my TEE showed perivalvular leak is just mild to moderate, so no change since it was since ... Read more
Janelle Hurst Thankfully my TEE showed perivalvular leak is just mild to moderate, so no change since it was since after surgery...I am so happy it didn't worsen!
Klara Čičić Yaay, I am so happy for you!!! Keep us updated after each echo... I am interested in seeing what the ... Read more
Klara Čičić Yaay, I am so happy for you!!! Keep us updated after each echo... I am interested in seeing what the future holds for both of us. I am doing another echo soon to see has it progressed also.
Have any of the women had minimally invasive OHS where the surgeon went through your breast/around areola? If so, what was your experience like with that? ...Read more
Have any of the women had minimally invasive OHS where the surgeon went through your breast/around areola? If so, what was your experience like with that? My incision is around my areola and my breast just looks "deformed" right now... it still has swelling and I'm only 4 weeks post op but I'm struggling with feeling like it will never go back to normal.
Susan Lynn Janelle - I had minimally-invasive mitral valve repair, but the surgeon placed the incision vertica... Read more
Susan Lynn Janelle - I had minimally-invasive mitral valve repair, but the surgeon placed the incision vertically down the side of my right breast. It was only about three inches to begin with, but it is nearly invisible. There were two other tiny incisions for instruments and a camera, as well, as the incision above my right thigh for connection to the bypass. One of the other advantages of the mini-thoracotomy is that the nerves are frozen during this entry, so the initial recovery is almost painless, however, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that you will feel numbness, pins and needles, and occasionally brief painful sensations for a year or more afterward while they are regenerating. I would do it, again, in a heartbeat - pun intended!
The most important thing is getting a good repair. We've seen invisible sternotomy and mini-sternotomy scars on this site, so don't make the cosmetics a bigger priority than they need to be. I was fortunate enough to get both! Best of luck with your research!
Holly Wale Janelle - I also had a minimally invasive surgery - AVR. My main incision is horizontal at the top of my right breast. It did not quite hang naturally for at least a month or so but now looks pretty normal.
My AVR was on 10/6/21 and I am just getting some feeling back in that area - along with the pins and needles others have described.
Holly Wale Janelle - I also had a minimally invasive surgery - AVR. My main incision is horizontal at the top of my right breast. It did not quite hang naturally for at least a month or so but now looks pretty normal.
My AVR was on 10/6/21 and I am just getting some feeling back in that area - along with the pins and needles others have described.
For those of you who have been through cardiac rehab or did it "on your own", I was wondering what exactly it entails. I can't get into cardiac rehab ...Read more
For those of you who have been through cardiac rehab or did it "on your own", I was wondering what exactly it entails. I can't get into cardiac rehab for an intake assessment until 8 weeks post op. Wanting to know when I can starting pushing myself more with exercise (like trying to run, etc). I can walk 2-4 miles every day without a problem and have been able to climb the stairs to my 3rd floor apartment with a brief break in the middle or no break at all. My resting heart rate is 100-115, can't be on metoprolol at the moment due to my blood pressure not being quite high enough. When I get back from my walks, my heart rate is in the mid 120's. Hesitant to try burst of running with my heart rate already being high at rest. In cardiac rehab, do they base your "limits" more on if you're short of breath/chest pain, do they keep a close eye on heart rate..??
Martin Smith Great questions! I did an on-line rehab program which started 2 months post-op. It was delivered main ... Read more
Martin Smith Great questions! I did an on-line rehab program which started 2 months post-op. It was delivered mainly on line because of Covid outbreaks. The effectiveness of the program was compromised, but it did promote a cautious approach to recovery and fitness, and that was probably a good thing for me as I am an ambitious fit-for-life person. In those early months the rehab team didn't want my heart rate to spike beyond 140-150 and emphasised the importance of maintaining a normal (systolic under 120 RESTING) bp average and a resting bpm in the 50s and 60s. Although I'm a lifetime fitness person and fairly ambitious I decided to be patient and to stay with low impact, walking, xcountry skiing, and light resistance for my first year post-op. Now at 18 months I'm doing much more and happy to have erred on the side of caution. Everyone's recovery is different, but now is an opportunity to slow down, monitor your progress, and heal. Time will fly even if you take a slow cautious approach. Best wishes!
Susan Lynn Janelle - I had to wait about two months to get into my local cardiac rehab. You sound like you're ... Read more
Susan Lynn Janelle - I had to wait about two months to get into my local cardiac rehab. You sound like you're in fantastic shape already, but looking into a local program couldn't hurt. In my class, we started out very slowly - slow walks, low/no inclines, light weights, etc. But, they did monitor individual progress, so the few people who were able to handle more were allowed to do it. You'll be wearing a heart monitor and your bp will be checked before/during/after the class, so they will stop you if they see you're overexerting yourself. One of the biggest returns from cardiac rehab was engaging with the other participants. Similar to this site, sometimes you just need to talk to someone who's been there. It's very therapeutic! Best of luck to you!
Mike Tirrell I was able to sign up for cardiac rehab after my 6 week checkup. They calculated my max heart rate w ... Read more
Mike Tirrell I was able to sign up for cardiac rehab after my 6 week checkup. They calculated my max heart rate which was 220- my age. They targeted 80% of that which was 140 and would let me get to about 150 before they would ask me to slow down. They measured how many mets I was putting out at each session and verified that it increased each week or every couple weeks while not exceeding that 150 number. They would also take BP regularly and verify it was elevated while I was exercising. If you are experiencing elevated heart rate, I would just be careful to make sure you don't exceed ~85% of your calculated max heart rate. That seemed to be their biggest concern. If you have a watch or some other heart rate monitor, you should use it if you are planning to exercise prior to rehab IMO.
Just wondering if anyone else had issues with high heart rate and/or low blood pressure after getting home from surgery. A few days after discharge I ...Read more
Just wondering if anyone else had issues with high heart rate and/or low blood pressure after getting home from surgery. A few days after discharge I had a post op appt and my heart rate was 108, so they put me on 12.5mg of Metoprolol. Less than a week later I was feeling lightheaded, BP showed to be consistently 80's/60's with heart rate in the 90's, have been feeling very spacey and out of it. I discussed with my ANRP and she said I could stop Metoprolol to see how I felt but still concerned about heart rate staying too high if I stopped it. I was off it for 3 days and my BP still stayed low, but heart rate became 100-115. Now, I'm starting on a low dose of Midodrine to increase my BP. Anyone else have similar issues? I imagine it will just take time for my heart to recover, it's just frustrating because otherwise I feel like I could be back to normal activity. I'm only 2.5 weeks post op, so I really should be ok with doing a bunch of nothing, but I have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I actually had heart surgery - doesn't feel real. Had a couple rough days this weekend, felt really down, was upset about feeling like a blob doing nothing and started to get upset about how my body still looks like a mess (incisions, tube sites, bruising, etc). I know they say it's normal to have moments of feeling depressed but it doesn't make it any easier. Feeling better the last couple days, but still feel on edge emotionally.
Adam Pick Hey Janelle, Great question... Here's a post with 60 patient comments you might want to take a look ... Read more
Adam Pick Hey Janelle, Great question... Here's a post with 60 patient comments you might want to take a look at. And, I can remember many of the feelings you describe above. Please take it easy. Give your body time to heal. Do your best not to rush the recovery. I did that and it caused me a whole lot of unwanted challenges. https://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/heart-surgery-blog/2009/06/23/high-heart-rate/
Get patient information about high heart rates after heart surgery for procedures including heart valve repair & heart valve replacement.
Rose Madura Hi Janelle. I had these issues one day after I got home and then about q0 days later. Mine was a b ... Read more
Rose Madura Hi Janelle. I had these issues one day after I got home and then about q0 days later. Mine was a bit more extreme with heart rate around 140 and BP was 40/0. That was how my body reacted to Afib. I had to be hospitalized both times. So, your body has been through a lot. Glad you are in communication with your doctors. They will know what to do. Please keep us posted.
Rita Savelis 2.5 weeks postop is so very very early. Your heart is still trying to get a grip on everything that h ... Read more
Rita Savelis 2.5 weeks postop is so very very early. Your heart is still trying to get a grip on everything that happened to it. You can't see your heart, but it needs a rest even as you feel you want to be back to speed already. Alas, heart surgery is a big deal and everyone will have some issues and aftereffects, which will then get better with time and meds. Feeling down after OHS is so common and so normal. You have been through a lot physically and now emotionally. All those feelings are so real and normal. Take care.
Adam Baumgartner I had my surgery about a week before you. My HR was also high 85-100. It started coming down the 3rd ... Read more
Adam Baumgartner I had my surgery about a week before you. My HR was also high 85-100. It started coming down the 3rd week. I'll be 4 weeks post op tomorrow and my resting HR has come down 20+ points now 65-70.
Michelle Troxell I am 4-months post-op. My heart rate is just now starting to decrease. I’ve been high 90s to 110, ... Read more
Michelle Troxell I am 4-months post-op. My heart rate is just now starting to decrease. I’ve been high 90s to 110, and it is not uncommon. My BP stays low… 90s/60s, also starting to increase. I did not go on metoprolol until 2-months out. Cardiac Rehab has really made the difference on both ❤️
Surgery went well on Friday, Dr. Gerdisch said he had a couple minor surprises in the surgery but nothing that was difficult, but surgery took a little longer ...Read more
Surgery went well on Friday, Dr. Gerdisch said he had a couple minor surprises in the surgery but nothing that was difficult, but surgery took a little longer than expected. Sunday I started having really bad muscle pain in my back (likely from sitting/laying so much, and I have history of back issues) and that has carried into early Tuesday morning as I write this (no sleep happening). Because I was doing very well medically, Dr. Gerdisch was going to discharge me Monday so I could be more independent and move more to reduce back pain. It was a flurry of activity in the morning getting all my lines and drains out and I had an ECHO. I was probably an hour from heading home when Dr. Gerdisch walked in and said my ECHO showed a small leak in the valve, in a different spot than where it was leaking before surgery, said there was no leaking at all at the end of the surgery. Wants a TEE Tuesday morning to see what’s going on. He cannot hear the leak with his stethoscope, so that is a good sign. He said if leak is very minor, then I’ll be good to go. If not, he wants to take me back into surgery to fix it 😭 He stated “I can’t let you leave without it being perfect”. He did mention that my valve/heart tissue was “delicate”, so that may be a contributing factor in the change since surgery. Trying not to think about possibility of going back into surgery, but if I need to then that’s what will happen. The hospital staff have been great, and I trust Dr. Gerdisch. I appreciate his need for perfection in this situation and his attention to detail.
Dan Rhoden Hi Janelle, hope you get good news from the TEE.
Marie Myers That is tough news to hear. Praying for some good news with the TEE.
Rose Madura Glad you are I'm good hands with Dr Gerdisch. But that's a tough pill to swallow. Hopefully the TEE ... Read more
Rose Madura Glad you are I'm good hands with Dr Gerdisch. But that's a tough pill to swallow. Hopefully the TEE will come back with some positive news.
Holly Wale Janelle -- good morning! Praying for good news with the TEE!!
Ginny Turner Janelle, we’re all hoping for a good report on Tuesday and that a second surgery won’t be needed. ... Read more
Ginny Turner Janelle, we’re all hoping for a good report on Tuesday and that a second surgery won’t be needed. Prayers coming your way.
Praying for good results on yourTEE. Dr. Gerdish seems to be taking good care of you. Blessings
Charles Stults I hope all goes well Janelle. I’ll be praying for you. Hopefully by the time I post this your alrea ... Read more
Charles Stults I hope all goes well Janelle. I’ll be praying for you. Hopefully by the time I post this your already released and on the road to recovery.
Hi everyone! I leave in about 2 weeks for surgery. Trying to get everything together that I might need at the hospital or in the few days after being discharged. ...Read more
Hi everyone! I leave in about 2 weeks for surgery. Trying to get everything together that I might need at the hospital or in the few days after being discharged. For those of you who have already had your surgeries, I was wondering if you could share what things were really helpful to have, or comfort items you brought. For those of you that traveled for your surgery, any additional suggestions for travel items? Thanks!
Rose Madura My tablet, long chargers if you have them, a travel pillow, cell phone. I'm sure others will chime i ... Read more
Rose Madura My tablet, long chargers if you have them, a travel pillow, cell phone. I'm sure others will chime in with more suggestions.
Susan Lynn Janelle - i found that a robe and pajama pants made me more comfortable when I was walking the hallwa ... Read more
Susan Lynn Janelle - i found that a robe and pajama pants made me more comfortable when I was walking the hallways after surgery. You will also want to bring a button down shirt and stretchy pants for the way home. Some folks experience temporary weight gain after OHS. Dress for ease and comfort. All the best! ❤
Delanee Durham My own toothbrush and toothpaste, the hospital one was not very good.
Roger Saul Hi Janelle. My surgery is this Thursday (2 days). I echo the above. The list I was given at my las ... Read more
Roger Saul Hi Janelle. My surgery is this Thursday (2 days). I echo the above. The list I was given at my last pre-surgical appointment two weeks ago said toiletries and comfortable clothing, such as a robe and slippers. DO NOT bring jewelry, money, or other valuables.
The other item I'm to bring is my incentive spirometer (breathing exerciser). I've been using it 2x per day the past 2 weeks. It's to help reduce the chance of developing breathing problems such as pneumonia. I'll need to use that during my hospital stay and 2-3 weeks at home during recover. Good luck!!
Roger Saul P.S. And coming from Florida, you’ll want a heavy winter coats, gloves, ear muffs, scarf, etc.
Deena Z Ear plugs to sleep better at night.
Headphones if listening to music or podcasts will help u fall asl ... Read more
Deena Z Ear plugs to sleep better at night.
Headphones if listening to music or podcasts will help u fall asleep.
Holly Wale Long charging cords, some shorts / sweat pants (recommend cuffed ones so no tripping hazards) for whe ... Read more
Holly Wale Long charging cords, some shorts / sweat pants (recommend cuffed ones so no tripping hazards) for when you get to walk the halls! Chapstick. Shoes you do not have to lace when you get ready to leave. Prayers for a great outcome and speedy recovery!
Esther Levin-Morrison lip balm, saline nasal spray, pony tie holders and button blouses for the trip home
Phyllis Petersen I was glad to have jammie pants and my own robe and slip-on sandals with good bottoms that the socks ... Read more
Phyllis Petersen I was glad to have jammie pants and my own robe and slip-on sandals with good bottoms that the socks fit in. An extra long charger cord is a must. I also made sure to have a loose fitting shirt and comfortable pants for leaving the hospital. I was able to take a shower the last day at the hospital and would have preferred my own shampoo, conditioner and soap, but I was glad just to have a shower. I also liked having a puzzle book with some easier things to distract me. I found reading a little too mentally challenging in those first few days. I had to fly home, but was fortunate to be able to spend about 10 days after surgery with a cousin and hour and a half from the hospital. When I did travel, I made sure to let them know that I needed a wheelchair and someone to help me on and off the planes (I had to change at O'Hare!). The most important thing to remember: make your needs and wants known. They want you to heal well, so they'll do what they can to help you.
So I have this symptom/feeling that I've had now for almost 10 years and any doctor that I've mentioned it to looks at me like I'm crazy. After sitting up ...Read more
So I have this symptom/feeling that I've had now for almost 10 years and any doctor that I've mentioned it to looks at me like I'm crazy. After sitting up from lying down, could be after sleeping all night or just 1 hr lying on the couch, I feel a vibration/bubbling sensation near my heart/left lung when I take a deep breath. Usually after I sit up and take one to two deep breaths it goes away. I had a chest xray and VQ scan when I first noticed it and results showed nothing. Since I now have severe regurgitation (and it's possibly been there a while), I started to wonder if it was related. curious if anyone here has experienced anything similar?
Richard Munson Regurgitation in the dictionary sounds like something that could make a noise.
Mike Tirrell Hi Janelle, I had the same thing. It felt like a popping or bubbling in my left lung, probably close ... Read more
Mike Tirrell Hi Janelle, I had the same thing. It felt like a popping or bubbling in my left lung, probably closer to the bottom than the top. If I was laying down for a while and then took a deep breath, I would feel it once and then not again. I mentioned it to my doctors at one point and they didn't seem concerned. When I read this I had to think about it because I don't think I've felt it since my surgery. I will pay more attention though and see if I still feel it. FWIW, I never had any notable regurgitation, just stenosis
Michelle Troxell Jenelle, I’m very sorry I haven’t responded before now but it looks as though you did a wonderful ... Read more
Michelle Troxell Jenelle, I’m very sorry I haven’t responded before now but it looks as though you did a wonderful job researching and I believe deep in my heart you have found the very best, Dr. Gerdisch ♥️ Mine was open heart due to the damage my heart attack caused but Dr. Gerdisch did a miraculous surgery. I felt no pain and recovery time is fast due to him using cryogenic freezing and the sternum lock. I’m almost 2 months out of surgery and feeling great. After my surgery, Dr. Gerdisch continued to visit almost daily in the hospital and remained accessible even as of today. Have faith in him and the next thing you know, you will wake up with a new heart 🤗
Timothy Williams I have had the irregular/extra beats for years, but wasn't feeling anything as recent as 6 months ago ... Read more
Timothy Williams I have had the irregular/extra beats for years, but wasn't feeling anything as recent as 6 months ago. Kept getting asked, how does your heart feel. My answer was it feels like my heart. I didn't think about it. Only had 1 perspective. After some testing, more conversations, going on metropol tartate, I started feeling palpitations occasionally like when waking up in the middle of the night when everything else was calm. Then stopped metropol tartate after 30 days. Three days off Rx, I started feeling the palpitations more often and during the day. Never while exercising Only when calm. Long wind up, but then starting feeling a gurgling sensation as well sometimes with the palpitations. The palpitations are more regular, gurgling occurs less often and is a short episode. I mentioned to Dr and he said it must be my stomach as the upper portion is near/behind the heart. My gut says no. Not sure if I am just more self aware and misreading the feeling.
I finally found my surgeon! It was my 3rd outside consult and I knew before the consult was over that this was the one. Dr. Gerdisch at Franciscan Health ...Read more
I finally found my surgeon! It was my 3rd outside consult and I knew before the consult was over that this was the one. Dr. Gerdisch at Franciscan Health on Feb. 11, 2022. Huge relief to have that settled and happy I don't have to wait until Spring to have the surgery. With each step I feel relief but also new anxieties. Ready to be on the other side of this and healing.
Holly Wale Janelle! Congrats on the plan! Will keep you in my prayers.
Rose Madura I'm glad you received confirmation. You have to be comfortable with your surgeon.
Dan Rhoden Hi Janelle, I was just diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis, just starting the process for replaceme ... Read more
Dan Rhoden Hi Janelle, I was just diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis, just starting the process for replacement. A couple more tests/procedures needed.
I'll be meeting with Dr. Gerdisch soon, I live in the Indianapolis area. If you don't mind offering, what attracted you to Dr. Gerdisch?
Hope all goes well for you in February and beyond.
Dan
Ginny Turner Janelle, it's great that you've selected a surgeon and have a date! I've heard so many positives abou ... Read more
Ginny Turner Janelle, it's great that you've selected a surgeon and have a date! I've heard so many positives about Dr. Gerdisch - you'll have the best of care. Hope these next weeks pass quickly as you prepare.
Charles Stults Hey Janelle, I see that you’ve chosen Dr. Gerdisch to be your surgeon and your procedure is on Febr ... Read more
Charles Stults Hey Janelle, I see that you’ve chosen Dr. Gerdisch to be your surgeon and your procedure is on February 11th. Well it’s a small world as I am having my aortic valve replacement and aortic root repair with Dr. Gerdisch on February 11th as well.
I finally had my first surgical consult! Felt good to actually talk to someone about it! I had a video consult with Dr. Chikwe at Cedars-Sinai; it went ...Read more
I finally had my first surgical consult! Felt good to actually talk to someone about it! I had a video consult with Dr. Chikwe at Cedars-Sinai; it went really well. She says my repair would be a little more complicated but that she can do the repair robotically (and confidently) which I was happy to hear. She recommends having the surgery sooner than later, so I hope to aim for beginning of January when new insurance kicks in. Hoping to schedule an appt soon with Cleveland Clinic and then have appt with Franciscan Health on Dec. 2. Also have appt with my own healthcare system on Nov. 18 but don't plan on having them do my surgery. I want so badly to have a date so I can start planning but I'd like at least one more outside consult. With this first consult they said they would want me to stay for 7-10 after discharge to have my first post-op appt, and *maybe* can fly back after that. Otherwise looking at cross country car trip (CA --> FL) which sounds uncomfortable and long. For those of you who have gone out of state for your surgery, did you have to stay for a week after discharge and how did you go about going home and when? If there's anyone who went out of state to Cedars-Sinai, any recommendations for lodging nearby?
Susan Lynn Janelle - You're smart for getting multiple opinions and you have selected leaders in cardio thoracic ... Read more
Susan Lynn Janelle - You're smart for getting multiple opinions and you have selected leaders in cardio thoracic surgery. If you have time to squeeze in one more, you may want to try Dr. Lamelas in Miami. He's very well known for his expertise and not too far away for you. Good luck - do your homework - you'll be confident on game day that you made the right choice. ❤
https://doctors.umiamihealth.org/provider/Joseph+Lamelas/867364?clinical_experience=heart%20valve%20prosthesis&hgcrm_agency=healthgrades&hgcrm_channel=paid_search&hgcrm_campaignid=4533&keyword=heart%2520surgery&matchtype=p&hgcrm_tacticid=8427&hgcrm_trackingsetid=12232&hgcrm_source=google_adwords&_ga=2.162887292.1938042628.1636512353-1046594140.1636512353&_gac=1.258655864.1636512367.CjwKCAiA1aiMBhAUEiwACw25MUQ6adcVx3QZK_WJRFL-iUcb3dutnP5WjYHSz37-nKuphrDKmyU8YBoCIxQQAvD_BwE
Find information about and book an appointment with Dr. Joseph Lamelas, MD in Miami, FL. Specialties: Cardiac Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Structural Heart Disease Cardiology.
Rose Madura I agree with Susan as I am an advocate for at least a second opinion. I can see why they want you t ... Read more
Rose Madura I agree with Susan as I am an advocate for at least a second opinion. I can see why they want you to waitb7-10 days. I would think if you had any complications, they would occur soon after surgery.
GARY STANKO I am in Kansas City. Went to Mayo Clinic Rochester MN for my surgery in 2017. I had Mitral valve re ... Read more
GARY STANKO I am in Kansas City. Went to Mayo Clinic Rochester MN for my surgery in 2017. I had Mitral valve repair, the full sternotomy. I stayed one extra day in Rochester though they did not suggest it. Went to my local cardiologist for post op and rehab. We did the trip home in 2 days so about 3.5 hrs in the car each day. I had little pain but still exhausted. Didn't have any complications though the tube holes took some time to heal. Went back to Mayo the following two years for echos.
J H Mattingly Janelle...yes, getting all the info you can and feel comfortable about your decision is very importan ... Read more
J H Mattingly Janelle...yes, getting all the info you can and feel comfortable about your decision is very important. I had my AVR via full sternotomy and was released from the hospital in 5 days. My hospital was local, so only had to ride in the car about 30 minutes. Honestly, I doubt I could have made a long car ride and certainly could not have flown...until perhaps about 2-3 weeks post surgery. My chest soreness and had not built up my stamina enough until a few weeks out.
On the bright side, the body heals rapidly and quickly starts to regain pre-surgery strength. After a few weeks, the recovery is very rapid....was for me. Was back to driving myself at 6 weeks.
You will do great on your surgery and all this will be over!! You got this!!!
Dorothea Mansdorfer HI Janelle, I had my repair 5 weeks ago at Cedars by Dr. Trento. The entire team/hospital are amazin ... Read more
Dorothea Mansdorfer HI Janelle, I had my repair 5 weeks ago at Cedars by Dr. Trento. The entire team/hospital are amazing and I highly recommend. Every time we walk out we say WOW this place is incredible. We live 3 hours away so stayed at the "Sofatel" hotel which is walking distance to the office and hospital. Nice, comfortable place. You will definitely want to have extra pillows to prop you up while you sleep. Getting out of bed the first couple weeks is difficult unless you're upright. I did the robotic repair and still have a bit of pain but mainly because my breast sits on top the incision. I will say that every morning I wake up and am super surprised at how much better I get. I've only had a couple setbacks but mainly because I overdid it the day before . lol. Feel free to reach out anytime..........
Dr. Joseph Lamelas did my aortic valve and root replacement minimal invasive surgery. Dr Lamelas is a miracle worker who invented the Miami method. At Mount Sinai they used to call him GOD.
Do NOT look elsewhere and get the surgery with this Surgeon.
He saved my life!
6 year and feeing superb. I was in on Friday and out on Tuesday.