Posted By CCF CARDIO MD - DLB on October 08, 1998 at 19:14:19:
In Reply to:
MitralMitral regurgitation - chronic
Mitral stenosis
Mitral valve prolapse Valve Replacement posted by Diane on October 08, 1998 at 09:51:53:
My 30-yr-old male cousin was hospitalized 2 weeks ago at St. Vincent's Hosp it Bridgeport CT with bacterial
endocarditisEndocarditis
Infectious endocarditis
Infective endocarditis following tooth extraction. To make a long story short, he now has embolization and the
cardiacCardiac catheterization
Cardiac tamponade
Left heart ventricular angiography surgeon is recommending an "urgent"
mitralMitral regurgitation - chronic
Mitral stenosis
Mitral valve prolapse valve replacement. They called me (an RN in LA) for advice on what to do. I would feel more comfortable with
minimallyMinimally invasive heart surgery invasiveGestational trophoblastic disease
Invasive
Minimally invasive heart surgery
Noninvasive
Noninvasive test
Squamous cell carcinoma - invasive surgery, if possible. Also, would like your opinion on human donor replacement vs. the traditional which will require anticoags. Do you do the former at CC? What it the procedure at the Cleveland Clinic on urgent procedures? My cousin's wife has his records and is trying to get more opinions, since the cardiologist did not sound as urgent as the surgeon. They now think that they can wait. I explained need, possible problems, etc. Now I want to make sure that they get to the right place. thanks
Dear Diane
We would be happy to accept your cousin in transfer. We do all the forms of mitral valve surgery that you refer to. Usually, after an embolic event, valve replacement (of some sort) is recommended. Part of the decision depends on what the echo shows.
I wish you the best of luck.
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.
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.