My name is Jim and I am 38 years old and live near Boston. I
found out I needed valve surgery to replace my aortic valve in April,
2000. I was experiencing some chest pains under exertion for a few years
and finally decided to check it out when the chest pains became more
frequent and with less exertion. I was sent to a cardiologist for what I
thought would be a routine echocardiogram. Deep down I knew something
was wrong but nothing too serious, so I thought. I got the call from my
primary the next day saying something about my aortic valve not opening
and that I would need surgery. I was devastated.
I made a consultation with the cardiologist and saw him on a Friday.
He explained I would need open heart surgery. He explained I could
choose a mechanical valve and be on Coumadin the rest of my life or a
pig or cow valve but need a re-surgery in probably 10 years. He also
said that some doctors were doing minimally invasive surgery but it was
riskier since the surgeon couldn’t maneuver as much. He did say the
surgery was routine for a cardiac surgeon and he was comfortable sending
me to any reputable hospital in Boston. He scheduled me for a
cathertization for the following Monday at St. Elizabeth’s in Boston.
I knew I needed to find more information. I went to the internet and
read all the information I could find over the weekend. Before I found
this sight I had been to other heart forums. I emailed other heart valve
patients for their input. It was here I learned of the homograft valve.
I didn’t want to be on Coumadin and needed a valve that would last
longer than 10 years hopefully. So I liked the idea of the homograft
especially since it was human tissue.
I had the cathertization done with no complications on Monday. I had
no coronary artery disease but my valve was very narrow. Surgery would
have to be done soon, no longer than six months. All the doctors were
amazed that I had such little symptoms, just the occasional chest pain.
All the doctors there recommended a mechanical valve for the longevity.
The surgeon would do either a pig valve or mechanical, whatever I wanted
to choose. He did not do homografts.
I then made a consultation with Dr. Lawrence Cohn at Brigham and Women's
in Boston. They do a lot of valve surgeries and Dr. Cohn is the head of
cardiac surgery and a valve expert. He recommended the homograft for me.
I spoke to people who had both mechanicals and homografts and all were
doing well. So it was my personal choice to go with the homograft. I
just couldn’t deal with the Coumadin or the ticking and felt I could
handle another surgery down the road.
I scheduled surgery for June 12. The waiting was brutal. The anxiety
is the worst part. I was so scared the night before surgery I hardly
slept. I was relatively calm the Monday morning of the surgery for some
reason. The surgery lasted for 5 hours and I was on bypass for 2.5
hours. I woke up in ICU with the breathing tube in me and it was like
breathing through a straw. But I was ALIVE and I knew I had made it. I
drifted in and out for a few hours and then took the breathing tube out
about 5 hours after surgery. I had some ice chips and was not in a great
deal of pain. I was very alert and deep down knew I was going to be OK.
I was moved from ICU the following morning. I got out of bed that day
and sat in a chair. I was only on Ibuprofen. I took no narcotics after
leaving ICU. I called my co-workers and friends and told them I was
doing great. I walked the next 2 days and each day things got easier. I
had the chest tubes removed on the 4th night and I went home on Friday
afternoon. I did have an elevated heart rate of about 90 bpm. I was put
on a beta blocker to lower it and to control moderate high blood
pressure I had before surgery.
My recovery went very, very smoothly. I had no trouble walking around
the house, going up and down stairs. My pain was more discomfort. I had
the most trouble sleeping as when I rolled over it hurt. Each day that
got better. I walked my neighborhood the first week. The second week I
was walking 3 miles a day. I went back to work after 3 weeks (I have a
desk job) I experienced no fatigue whatsoever at any time during this
recovery.
I had my follow up with my cardiologist and my surgeon and they said
I am fine. My heart was not enlarged and my EKG’s were all normal. My
surgeon said I recovered quickly because I didn’t wait till my heart
was damaged. He did say my damaged valve was horrible and that he pulled
it out in little pieces!!
It has now been 3 months since my surgery. I feel like I have not had
surgery at all. I do everything I did before surgery except no chest
pain when I exert myself. I can exercise with no problems at all. I have
not has any heart rhythm problems. I had moderately high blood pressure
before surgery and was on an ace inhibitor. Now I take 100mg of Toprol
which is a beta blocker to control blood pressure and slow the heart
rate. I have had no side affects from this medication. My heart rate is
no longer elevated and I see the cardiologist in a few weeks for a
follow up. I will continue to update my story.
I feel so lucky and blessed that I have recovered so easily. I truly
feel wonderful. I thank Dr. Cohn and all the staff at Brigham and Women
for pulling me through successfully.
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