MVP how long can i wait

  I'm a 49 yr. old male with a prolapsed mitral valve.  Two years ago ('97) I went into A. fib. and was cardio converted. I am currently on bisoprolol fumarate (ZEBETA 2.5mg/day.) During the Midwest winters I am sedintary, in the summer I play golf 3 to 4 times a week (yea I know I'm lucky) and I carry the bag and walk the course.  Recently I have begun to again experience shortness of breath and some light headedness after an initial movement i.e. a flight of stairs, groceries from the car to house etc. But sustained activity i.e. walking seem to be o.k.  It was a toss up between the cardiologist and surgeon two years ago whether to wait or do the repair/replace then.  Now it looks like it's time as symptoms are coming back and ventricule is enlarged more than '97.  Is it ok to wait until next January for the procedure or must it be done now.  Assuming no heart failure  or A. fib. is immanent?     How soon can I hit the links after surgery??
  Oh! My cardiologist says I be going to the Cleveland Clinic for the proc.
  see ya sooner or later??
  thanks,
  dave

[CCF Cardio MD - MTR]

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Dear Dave, thank you for your question.  If you are having shortness of breath with exertion and your left ventricle has indeed enlarged beyond a certain dimension, then you should have your mitral valve repaired now rather than waiting until next January.  You'll gain nothing by waiting any longer and you'll avoid any exacerbation of your symptoms by having the problem fixed now.   Mitral valve repair has been perfected by Dr. Delos Cosgrove at our institution and the procedure is often done via a minimally invasive approach which leaves only a 4 - 5 inch scar, reduces post-operative recovery time and pain, and results in an earlier hospital discharge.  You would probably need to wait for 6 - 8 weeks before playing golf after the surgery.  If you would like to be scheduled for an evaluation here in cardiac surgery, then call 1-800-CCF-CARE and ask for Cathy at pager 24774.  Alternatively, your local cardiologist could schedule the surgery for you.  

I hope you find this information useful.  Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only.  Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions.  Good luck!
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter.   The Heart
Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.