anyone have experience w/ valve replacement surgery?

[allicat]

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with heart valve replacement.
Just found out FIL needs this surgery and will most likely have to have it done within the week.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Not really familiar with it, allicat, other than it is quite common and highly successful in treating the reasons it is done. One of Marie's uncles, aged about 65 or so at the time, had a replacement about 5 years ago and is doing great. My very best to your FIL for successful, comfortable surgery and a quick and complete recovery.

Dan

 

[Blondie]

A co-worker had it done last year, she was only 50 years old at the time.

She did extremely well, was out of work for a couple months and she'll be on blood thinners for years to come.

Other than that, she is doing great!

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

DH's step grandpa had it done not too long ago. He is 84 years young. He made it through the surgery fine. They later had to do a pacemaker because the heart rate was not well regulated. He went through that fine as well. He is home now and recoving nicely. I think the hardest part was that he had to take it real easy after coming home. DH's grandma has back problems and she uses a wheelchair since she can't walk too far. After surgery they had to have some help at home since he couldn't take care of her the way he used too.

 

[shortbun]

My best friend has had 2. She's a runner-6 miles a day.
Her first one lasted 17 years. 2nd is 12 years old now.
She leads a normal life.

 

[gina2000]

My dad had his mitral valve replaced. It was a tough recovery for him complicated by weakening lungs.

 

[damo]

My MIL had it done when she was 80. She was very sick by the time she had it done and was going downhill very quickly. As a child she had rheumatic fever and that apparently caused the damage. During the operation, the surgeon realized that it was worse than he figured and he did his best (he is one of the best surgeons in Canada) and he also put a ring around another valve). I remember when she was in the recovery room, totally out of it, the nurse asked her where she was and she said, "Hell". She did recooperate. She was in the hospital longer than most (about two weeks) since she wouldn't eat and her heart rate was sky high. It took them a long time to regulate her heart rate.

Once she came home she had a difficult time getting her weight back up. She became depressed and she got pneumonia from not taking the deep cleansing breaths like she was supposed to. She stopped going to church.

This was three years ago. She is now doing quite well. Her replaced valve is excellent. Her repaired one is doing okay. She still gets out of breath but it perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She lives in a nice townhouse in a senior's community. She still hasn't gone back to church even though she was a devout Catholic. We can't figure that out.

Although it was a real struggle, her quality of life if good. She still likes to complain but we keep telling her it is better than the alternative and that she should take some inspiration from the other seniors who are walking past her house pulling oxygen tanks and using walkers.

I don't think she would survive the operation if she had to do it again but she's got quite a few good years left.

 

[joats]

My college roommate had one when she was in HS. She has to take blood thinners but lives a normal and healthy life. Good luck to your FIL! Hope he makes a speedy recovery.

 

[Disney Doll]

As long as he is reasonably healthy otherwise, with no major medical difficulties or history, he should do fine. The procedure is pretty perfected now.

One thing I will warn you of is that for a few weeks after the surgery, he may be "different"...crankier or more short-tempered than usual. My DFIL had open heart surgery 5 years ago, and for a couple of weeks post-op, this man, who had generally been an easy-going, personable guy, turned into a real bear. It got to the point where my DMIL asked the doctor if it was possible that he had had some complication that caused a stroke or lack of oxygen or something. The doctor told her that often when someone has been on a heart/lung machine(which most cardiac surgeries require)they have a couple of weeks of personality change, until true equilibrium is restored. That was the case with my DFIL, but as time went on, he did settle back to his normal self. When I asked a couple of my friends whose parents had also had open heart surgeries, they said the same thing! Some kind of phenomenon, but one that no one mentions. I mention this to you only because when it happened to us, it was quite worrisome until we had an explanation for it, and saw that, with time, he was indeed returning to "normal".

I wish your father good luck. I will keep him in my prayers.

 

[buzzlady]

My grandmother had it done at the age of 80. She is now 92 and doing very well.