water in the lungs

my mother has had her aortic and miteral valves of her heart replace with biological ones on June 10.  Since then she had been hospitalized twice for water in her lungs and they cannot seem to find out where it is coming from.  I have asked the doctors if her heart if functionning properly since one week after her valve replacements she had to have a pacemaker put in - they tell me her heart is working fine.  She is still in the hospital and still has water in the lungs as of today, July 3rd.  They also did a scan today to see if there was an anbolism - awaiting results.  Is there anything you can tell me as I am getting very frustrated.  We live in Montreal, Canada and she is hospitalized at the Institute of Cardiolgy in Montreal.
Thank you
Lydia

[National Jewish Health]

The medical term for "water in the lungs" is pulmonary edema.  It is most commonly caused by high back pressure from the left side of the heart, due to failing heart muscle or from obstruction of one of the heart valves, usually the mitral valve.  But, it can also be caused by leakage of pulmonary capillaries, in the presence of normal pressures, a major cause being a condition called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).  Pulmonary embolism can cause this condition but it is uncommon and readily diagnosable.

Your mother is in a fine hospital and, presumably, under the care of very capable doctors.  You might want to ask your mother’s doctors if she might have a sustained form of ARDS or, despite her heart pumping well, could have re-stenosis of the mitral valve.

Another possibility could be pulmonary edema in association with kidney failure but I am sure that would be recognized.

Good luck.