Re: Aortic Valve Replacement

Posted By Michael on June 16, 1999 at 11:19:07
Hello,
I am 42 years old and I have had aortic insufficiency for many years but it has never bothered me until recently when I started to get some presuure and chest pains as well as pulpitations. After some echo scans and a recent cardiac catheter, the doctors have decided that I need to have my aortic valve replaced. This is due to be done on the 15th July. I am obviously trying to find out as much information as I can on the subject. The main questions that I would like help with if possible are the following:
How does the operation take and how long will I have to stay in hospital?
As I live in Gibraltar and the operation will be done in London, how long will I have to stay in UK before I can travel back to Gibraltar?
What is the normal recovery time before I can go back to work and to a normal life?
Can you really resume a totally normal life after the operation?
What does the recovery process involve, is there anything special which I will need to do?
The doctor told me that I will have to be on Warfarin for the rest of my life, how will this affect me?, I beleive that Warfarin reacts to certain medicines like antihistamines, disprin and others. Also I beleive that drinking more than 1/2 pint of beer  a day will no longer be possible, can you clarify.
I apologise for the long rambling list that I have made out, but I am obviously a bit worried and I have never bothered to find out much about the problem.
I would be extremely gratful for any information that you can provide.

Many thanks for your time.

[Hank-Eyring]

Posted By Hank Eyring on June 23, 1999 at 14:03:34
Hello Michael,
I had aortic valve replacement (st. jude mechanical valve) on April 2nd of this year.  Of course I stressed about it, but it was not as bad as I had thought it would be.
The worse part has been getting my coumadin dosage nailed down.  It is necessary to eat the same amount of Vitamin K containing foods every day and that is hard sometimes.  I love brocolli, cauliflower and spinach and these are the highest in Vitamin K content.  
Personally, (I am 32 years old) I would rather take coumadin the rest of my life than get a tissue valve and have to repeat the surgery in 12-15 years.  Thats definately a personal choice though...
Good Luck, You will conquer all!!
Hank Eyring
Feel free to email me ***@**** if you have any more questions.  I'm not a physician by any means, but most docs have never actually gone under the knife for the surgery and sometime we need to know how it actually feels..










Follow Ups: