HEART DISEASE EXPERT FORUM
CHF relative to valve stenosis

CHF relative to valve stenosis

  My mother is 82 years old. About a year ago she slipped and fell causing compresion fractures in her spine. She spent about 20 days hospitalized. We have known that she had heart valve damage due to rheumatic fever that she had as a child. She developed congestive heart failure or it became worse while hospitalized and has lengthened the recovery process. Prior to that episode she took inderal and has for years at a very low dosage. When she left the hospital she was taking lasix and potassium and now takes both once a day. She has no other health problems, weighs 104 lbs and is 5' tall. She has always been the kind of person who was on her feet doing something, needless to say this has slowed her down. While in the hosp I was told by one of the docs that two valves were damaged they indicated moderately but possibly severe.  Here are the questions. 1. Is there better medication than inderal to control or improve the heart function? 2. Would valve replacement be too difficult for someone of her age?
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Dear Jim
If your mother has heart failure due to weakened heart muscle, there are more effective medicines than Inderal. She should see a cardiologist for optimal treatment of her heart failure.
We do cardiac surgery on people in their 80s here at the Cleveland Clinic, and we also due double valve surgeries. Either situation makes heart surgery risky, but both combined make it very high risk. Your mother
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