NOT asking medical device - talk to me about aortic valve replacement

[csziggy]

14. I am losing a lot of capability - the valve is failing

I cannot walk any distance without panting and running out of breath. So far I have not felt light headed, but my cardiologist seems surprised by that. I am beginning to notice my heart racing from while sitting activities. Today they could not get the catheter through the valve to measure the pressure inside the heart - that is how tight it is and how little blood can get through.

The cardiothoracic partnership here locally is highly regarded - that is one of the reasons they have been selected y Medtronics for the TAVR low risk trial. They were among the early groups that did TAVR originally. One of the partners is the doctor who did the cardio cath today - he performed a TAVR this morning. Another is the surgeon I am scheduled to meet with on Monday - he generally performs the open heart surgeries. Both will be in the operating room no matter which procedure I get.

The Wikipedia article on postperfusion syndrome, also known as "pumphead," indicates that it is worse in patients with coronary artery disease which I do not have. It also indicates that over time "the deficits are transient with no permanent neurological impairment." I noticed deficits after I got total knee replacement on both knees within three months, but after a few months I was back to normal.

If I do not get the valve replaced I will die. Maybe not immediately but soon as my heart becomes less and less able to pump enough blood to supply oxygen.

My mother had the same defect and she was told her heart could stop at any point or she might go to sleep and just not wake up. At 86 she elected to not do anything - although she has lasted another ten years, she is not doing very good. I would like to get closer to her age before I give up.