Does redundant mitral valve tissue still mean a structurally normal heart?

[fearfactor]

On my echocardiogram report, the result was "anterior mitral valve leaflet appears mildly redundant though no frank prolapse is seen" and "trivial mitral and tricuspid valve regurgitation."  Does this mean my heart is "structurally normal?"  I am asking because I have suspected (never caught on a monitor, Holter or 30 day event) NSVT runs and am concerned because I know that in a structurally normal heart these are benign but in a non-normal heart they can be dangerous.  Do I have mitral valve prolapse and if so do my test results foreshadow sudden cardiac death?

I realize I posted a question last month and am at the end of my 2 per 6 month limit so this will be my last until 6 months, just to let everyone know.

Thank you.

[Momto3]

Thanks!  That's what I originally thought.  Maybe I'm not cracking up : )

I don't generally get pacs either.  Seems strange with so many pvcs.  I can only recall seeing one report that indicated pacs, and there were only 4 of them...

So, the lub-dubdubdudubdub and so on may be strung so close togehter that I don't feel the pause.  Not sure.  

Hope you are still well despite the "flip flops."

Take care and thanks again.

connie

[upbeat63]

There is not really much more I can add to any of your posts, you've all done a wonderful job of describing the various PVCs. Connie, you were also very descriptive and right on when you said that you've been down this road and are just trying to show others the path, and that we all have our own roadblocks to deal with--that was great.

I guess there is one thing I can add, bigeminy is a normal beat, then a beat with a PVC, then back to a normal beat, then a beat with a PVC (like you said: lub-dub, lub-dub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub-dub). Sometimes the pause is not as evident so you might get confused if you are taking your pulse and your pulse is faint.

NSVT is lub-dub-dub, lub-dub-dub (well that's a couplet), but NSVT continues lub-dub-dub, lub-dub-dub, lub-dub,dub, lub-dub-dub, etc. but for under 30 seconds in duration. Depending on how fast your heart beat is during all of this, it could techinically be VT.

I think Connie, your lub-dubdubdubdubdub, may be just shorter pauses, coming from different foci? which may feel like they are strung closer together. Or, could it be you have had a PAC in the middle of the PVCs? I don't really know what a PAC feels like, my holter didn't show any, but I've heard them described as having a shorter pause than a PVC--tickertock maybe you can answer that one, you get both right?

[Fran71]

I agree with you tickertock that what I'm experiencing is bigeminy. I think the regular beat inbetween the 2 PVCs is the strong beat that I can feel between the pauses. I've experienced lots of those when I wore holter, and many bigeminy were recorded but no couple or triplet.

Connie, when you said above that NSVT gives you two kinds of different sensations, couldn't it be that the first one you described is actually a long string of bigeminy PVCs, and only the second is actually NSVT? Maybe you're having NSVT more seldom than you thought! :-). I know you know much more than I do about this, but your description of the first type of NSVT really sounded like bigeminy to me.
BTW Connie, did you get my email I sent about 1 week ago?

Smiles to all!

Fran

[Momto3]

Prior to the ablations, I was in bigeminy a good part of each day.  24% of my heart beats were ectopic.  Not any more :)

Bigeminy felt kind of "normal" to me. Whereas, the runs were like a bunch of irregular beats, but like my heart was stuck.
I'm almost certain the second type of episode I described was NSVT, and now I'm rethinking my first description.  YIKES!  My memory is going :(  I'm thinking bigeminy is probably right.  Sorry for any confusion.  I'll try and take note of my pulse next time I feel a run. I still get bigeminy, but not nearly as often.  At least, I don't think so : 0

I did get your email and sent a response.  I'll try resending it. Let me know if you get it : )

Connie

[Fran71]

Thanks Connie! It's so wonderful that your EF went back and you're getting fewer PVCs. They sure can be anoying. Thanks for sharing this with us, it's always nice to hear successful stories!

About NSVT, I guess we have to try it to really understand how it feels. If you feel your pulse with your finger, does it feel regular? So is there no compensatory pause with NSVT? Sorry I'm asking so many questions on this subject. I'd like to be able to recognize them, if I ever experience them.

Thanks so much for all your help!

Fran

[Momto3]

Fran,

Don't worry about asking too many questions.  I've asked millions : )

During an episode of NSVT, I think I experience two different sensations.  In some cases, my pulse is rhythmic, yet irregular. In other words, each beat is in time, but each beat is a pvc.  The pvcs were strung together in a synchronized manner.  Instead of the typical lub-dub, I think it's more like lub-dubdub repeatedly.  You know how your pulse feels with one pvc?  Well, this is the same only it would be a lot of individual pvcs one after another, with no regular beats in between. Each one has a pause.  Inside, it feels like a rolling, tumbling kind of sensation.

Other times, it was like lub-dubdubdubdubdub.....like my heart get caught and can't resume any type of rhythm.  These episodes are relatively short, probably less than 10 seconds. I'll try to take notice of my pulse the next time it happens so I can give a more accurate explanation : 0

Upbeat,

I've been told nsvt can be defined as 3 or more pvcs strung together with no regular beats in between.  But, each one has its own pause, right?  Also, it can be like a mini episode of VT, right?  When I used to ask my doctor if I had VT, she would look at the strips and say, "not technically."  I think I had more episodes of the strung pvcs.  But strung pvcs feel different to me than when my heart rhythm feels caught, with no atrial contractions.  Does this make sense to you?  I know you've had NSVT, so I thought maybe you could help.

Hope it a great day everyone!