I am a 53 year old male with
known coronary artery
disease. Ten years ago had
catheterization with
coronary angioplasty (non-stent).
Have had five (5)
cathertization since that
time. More recently I have
had episodes of chest pain,
now severely affecting my
quality of life. I have had
a very strong family history
of aortic dissection and
early cardiac death,
grandmother 46, grandfather
61, father’s brother 36 and
father 46. I have had a long
history of heart murmur with
a bicuspid aortic valve. I
have complained also of
increased shortness of
breath, fatigue at rest,
disphoresis, nausea and
presyncopal episodes.
Cardiac cathertization on
6/4/04, showed left main 20%
lesion, left circumflex and
right coronary artery
normal, ejection fraction
55%, no mitral
regurgitation, no aortic
insufficiency, moderately
dilated aortic root.
Echocardiogram showed trace
aortic insufficiency, trace
mitral regurgitation, 5.1
centimeter ascending aorta
with an ejection fraction of
65% and mile left
ventricular hypertrophy.
Vital signs revealed heart
rate 76 bpm and regular,
blood pressure tight 142/88,
left 128/84.
I was admitted to Beth
Israel Deaconess Hospital,
Boston, MA on 7/23/04, with
diagnosis of dilated
ascending aorta with
bicuspid aortic valve. I
underwent a supracoronary
ascending aortic graft with
a 24 millimeter gel weave
graft and a resuspension of
the aortic valve under
general anesthesia. Cross
clamp time was 53 minutes.
Cardiopulmonary bypass time
was 70 minutes.
I was transferred out of the
operating room to the
Cardiac Surgery Recovery
Unit in normal sinus rhythm
with a rate of 84.
Postoperative day number one
was uneventful with a small
amount of Neo-Synephrine
continued for blood pressure
support. My hematocrit was
down to 21, I was transfused
with two units of packed red
blood cells with increase in
hematocrit to 27.3. I had my
atrial and ventricular
pacing wires removed on day
two post-op. I had a brief
episode of supraventricular
tachycardia that resolved
spontaneously and did not
recur. My chest tubes were
discontinued on
postoperative day number
three. I had physical
therapy throughout my
hospital course and found to
be safe for home on 7/27/04.
At that time was discharged
home with visiting nurse at
that time. My wife Lauren
was there for discharge and
drove me home.
The visiting nurse attended
me at home twice weekly for
the first two weeks home and
I was discharged from the
visiting nurse on 8/6/04 as
my recovery has been very
uneventful and things seem
to be going very well being
that tomorrow 8/13/04 marks
three weeks post-op.
I am very lucky that all
seems so well and pray that
all remains the same for
weeks, months and years to
come.
