normal ekg with mitral stenosis

[jaxson23]

hello any advice? my husband who is 64 in a week has been in and out of the hospital in the last week with shortness of breath, squeezing chest, some fluid was seen on his right side.  He was diagnosed with mitral and aortic valve stenosis and regurgatation.  He is scheduled for an echo next week. One cardiologist that he saw last year seemed to think that surgery will come at a later time, he saw the hospital's cardiologist the other day, and he figures that the surgery is overdue.  I guess my question is he has a realatively normal ecg so they keep sending him home, like we are being a pita.  He is extremely weak and only weighs 119 lbs.  he had rhumatic fever as a kid in the caribbean that was not caught in time.  this has been a sudden change in the last couple of months. they tell us that he has chf and he was prescribed 40-80 lasix, nitro patch 0.4 at night, potassium 2 times a day and lorazapam 1 mg up to twice a day, the emerg doc's feel that this is the cause of his lethargy, it may well be but they had ordered it for anxiety not being able to breathe.  Help what in god's name am i supposed to do??????????


This discussion is related to mitral valve regurgitation.

[kenkeith]

The doctor who said surgery is over due is correct.  I have moderate to severe mitral valve regurgitation, and I have been told if and when I have shortness of breath and/or fluid buildup in the peripherals, that would indicate an immedicate need to have valve surgery.

A surgeon at the Mayo Clinic stated  to oftened sees a patient that has waited too long.  The risk by waiting is once the left side of the heart has weakened is is difficult or not possible to again have a normal functioning heart after the valve surgery.

If your husband's heart functionality can be helped by waiting, then delay surgery, but if there is not a benefit to wait, then the sooner the better for the surgery.