Michael O'Connell - Heart Valve Journal

My Journal

46 days ago

I’m going to have SAVR soon. I am very healthy except for my valve disease. Realistically, how much time will pass before I can do light household chores, ...Read more

I’m going to have SAVR soon. I am very healthy except for my valve disease. Realistically, how much time will pass before I can do light household chores, such as cooking or the laundry. I will have a six week restriction on the use of my arms, but those activities would seem to be within the restrictions.

Marie Myers I was able to do light things around the house after the first 2 weeks. There was a lot of napping go ... Read more

Marie Myers I was able to do light things around the house after the first 2 weeks. There was a lot of napping going on until then…

Brady Busch For me,the limitations for using the arms were,not raising them above my head and for support,such as ... Read more

Brady Busch For me,the limitations for using the arms were,not raising them above my head and for support,such as using the toilet or getting in or out of bed.
There are videos online about what to expect at home recovering.Also,physical therapists will likely visit,at the hospital,after surgery.

Michael,I just read about your location and hospital choice.I'm in Redmond.That's where mine was done,too.Who's your surgeon?

Michael O'Connell Mine will be done by the UW medical staff but at the VA facility in Seattle. They want me to go to Ev ... Read more

Michael O'Connell Mine will be done by the UW medical staff but at the VA facility in Seattle. They want me to go to Evergreen for phase 2 cardiac rehab rehabilitation after surgery. My surgery is going to be on November 4

Michael O'Connell Thanks for telling me about your experiences. I’ll have the same arm restrictions. As you, Brady. G ... Read more

Michael O'Connell Thanks for telling me about your experiences. I’ll have the same arm restrictions. As you, Brady. Glad to hear that you were able to do light duty after two weeks, Marie. That’s encouraging

J Alexander Lassally Do you have a choice in having it at UW versus the VA? It seems like it is "your heart surgery" - ca ... Read more

J Alexander Lassally Do you have a choice in having it at UW versus the VA? It seems like it is "your heart surgery" - can you influence them for that? Best of luck.

Brady Busch The surgeon that did mine was Dr Lara Oyetunji,who is the chief of cardiac surgery for the Puget Soun ... Read more

Brady Busch The surgeon that did mine was Dr Lara Oyetunji,who is the chief of cardiac surgery for the Puget Sound VA.She was accompanied by Dr Gabriel Aldea.

Yumiko Ishida I suggest you anticipate having to stick to T. rex arms during the timeframe your surgeon imposes a r ... Read more

Yumiko Ishida I suggest you anticipate having to stick to T. rex arms during the timeframe your surgeon imposes a restriction. You might be able to do some things but don’t plan on it. Take baby steps. At one point I decided I didn’t need help turning on the shower, only to find out I was wrong. It seemed simple enough - reach in and turn the control - but it caused excruciating pain. As long as everything was within reach at countertop height I found it was ok.

Susan Dunne I started mild household chores...cooking, dishwashing at 3 weeks as soon as I got home from cardiac ... Read more

Susan Dunne I started mild household chores...cooking, dishwashing at 3 weeks as soon as I got home from cardiac acute rehab. No hands over head till 6 weeks.

Susan Dunne By the way I am 83. Surgery was in Feb. This year

Michael O'Connellposted an update

51 days ago

I have looked for information on the difference in short-term and long-term outcomes for SVAR vs. minimally invasive aortic valve replacement (not TVAR). I ...Read more

I have looked for information on the difference in short-term and long-term outcomes for SVAR vs. minimally invasive aortic valve replacement (not TVAR). I can’t find anything that can tell me this. Can someone provide a link to a website or a research paper that provides this information?

Did any of you have experiences that you’d like to share?

Max Jam I believe it has to do with recovery. Bone takes 6-8 weeks to heal (like a fracture).

Rose Madura I may or may not be correct but other than what Max said, the healing of the heart should be the same ... Read more

Rose Madura I may or may not be correct but other than what Max said, the healing of the heart should be the same no matter which method. Either way, you heart has been operated on.

Michael O'Connell Thanks. Do you know which method has the most reliable and longest valve lifespan? Which has the fewe ... Read more

Michael O'Connell Thanks. Do you know which method has the most reliable and longest valve lifespan? Which has the fewest complications?

Michael O'Connellposted an update

59 days ago

Rose Madura, Grace Mason , Maggie Ma reacted to this

A cautionary tale about general practitioners.

I have had wide pulse pressure for months. My systolic has been around 130 and my diastolic around 53. ...Read more

A cautionary tale about general practitioners.

I have had wide pulse pressure for months. My systolic has been around 130 and my diastolic around 53. I pointed out the low diastolic to my GP a number of times. He said I was just getting old.

I read about how low diastolic can lead to heart failure and insisted I see a cardiologist. My GP had an echocardiogram done to give the cardiologist something to look at. It is then that we discovered my severe aortic regurgitation.

I learned from the cardiologist that wide pulse pressure such as I had points to aortic valve failure. In addition, aortic regurgitation can cause high systolic blood pressure as the heart has to work harder to pump the blood. So my aortic regurgitation may be causing all of my blood pressure problems!

I learned some time ago that you have to be your own advocate in the medical system, especially fighting ageism - I am in my 70s. My advocacy has certainly paid off in this case. I just wish we had caught this earlier so I could’ve avoided months of unexplained and unresolved symptoms.

Richard Munson

On being own health advocate

Richard Munson Whenever they say its old age, start running.

Marie Myers I am curious if the GP ever heard a murmur?

Michael O'Connell He never mentioned he heard a murmur😶

Ana Brusso Michael, Congratulations on being your own health advocate. Marie, are murmurs always from regurgitat ... Read more

Ana Brusso Michael, Congratulations on being your own health advocate. Marie, are murmurs always from regurgitation? I have heard that if you are anemic. Is that true?

Marie Myers Anna- Murmurs can result from any change to blood flow, whether from regurgitation, stenosis , or a h ... Read more

Marie Myers Anna- Murmurs can result from any change to blood flow, whether from regurgitation, stenosis , or a hole between the chambers. I don’t think anemia can cause a murmur, but it can cause feeling faint or dizzy due to lack of oxygen carrying capacity. I had a very faint diastolic murmur that almost no one could hear. The echocardiogram showed my bicuspid valve when I was in my 20’s.

Ana Brusso Thank you Marie.👍😍

Susan Dunne Heart murders are not always from regurgitation. I had a heart murmur all my life and it was conside ... Read more

Susan Dunne Heart murders are not always from regurgitation. I had a heart murmur all my life and it was considered "functional" from birth. I have had savr for aortic stenosis and now have no stenosis in that area. The heart murmur I believe was from a stiff mitral valve. Still no murmur now. Mitral valve is still slightly calcified with no regurgitation or prolapse. Basically the same as it has always been. If or when it worsens I would certainly consider surgery. Now I am great.

Susan Dunne Meant murmur

Michael O'Connellposted an update

84 days ago

Hi everyone, I’m new here. I have been diagnosed with severe aortic regurgitation. Initial tests indicate I have two valve lobes, not the normal three. This ...Read more

Hi everyone, I’m new here. I have been diagnosed with severe aortic regurgitation. Initial tests indicate I have two valve lobes, not the normal three. This makes me a better candidate for surgery (ouch) and less so for TVAR. Has anyone had a bivalve and had TVAR? What are your thoughts on one vs the other in this case? Thanks

Pamela Gregory Hi Michael. I think you will find this site extremely helpful and informative! My understanding is th ... Read more

Pamela Gregory Hi Michael. I think you will find this site extremely helpful and informative! My understanding is that if you have a bicuspid valve (2 instead of 3 flaps in the valve) you can not get TAVR or at least that was the case for me. Once they fix your valve (as long as the new one is large enough) you can have TAVR when the new one wears out. You can ask any questions on this site and almost always someone will have an answer.

Rose Madura I had a bicuspid valve too but also had 5.3 aneurysm and needed a root replacement so TAVR not even a ... Read more

Rose Madura I had a bicuspid valve too but also had 5.3 aneurysm and needed a root replacement so TAVR not even an option. Also it was before it was offered to people who were "healthy". I was only offered to those who might not make it through a traditional surgery. Like Pamela Gregory said, I got a large enough tissue valve to accept TAVR procedure in future if need be.

Dan Fouratt I have a BAV also and went with surgery. I am 63 and thought I was too young for the TAVR. I am sav ... Read more

Dan Fouratt I have a BAV also and went with surgery. I am 63 and thought I was too young for the TAVR. I am saving TAVR for my next surgery. When I queried this group they all agreed that I was too young for it. That said yes BAV people can have a TAVR.

Grace Mason I think there is some literature about increased incidence of leaking around a TAVR replacement in a ... Read more

Grace Mason I think there is some literature about increased incidence of leaking around a TAVR replacement in a bicuspid valve, post surgery, as compared to TAVR replacement in a normal tricuspid aortic valve.

Michael O'Connell Thanks for your responses. This all makes sense based upon everything else that I read. SVAR first, f ... Read more

Michael O'Connell Thanks for your responses. This all makes sense based upon everything else that I read. SVAR first, followed by TVAR down the road. That’s what the cardiologist talked about for someone like me who is healthy and will maybe need another procedure later.

Dan Fouratt Glad you made a decision, good luck on your journey.