Hi, I have a few questions about calcification in the heart. Several years ago, when I was in my early 40s, echocardiograms started showing aortic calcification and atherosclerosis in the ascending arch. I had a mitral valve prolapse. By my mid-40s the mitral valve prolapse showed mild regurgitation which grew to severe within a couple of years. Now, I am 50 and it has been severe for about 3 years.
I had an echocardiogram done at CCF for several years and it showed increasing calcification from the aorta spreading to the mitral valve annulus, etc. At that time, my CCF cardiologist said to go though my local cardiologist and when he suggested surgery, to come back. I should probably tell you that I have had a couple of strokes and have extensive, increasing atherosclerosis and that is why surgery wasn't done earlier. I also have variably-controlled isolated systolic hypertension.
The heart chambers are not getting much larger. In fact, to a minimal extent, they seem to be getting smaller and my local cardiologist mentioned he never saw anyone's heart get so small on contraction during a stress test. My ejection fraction during the last test was 75%.
Questions:
1. For the last 3 years, my local cardiologist has done echocardiograms but none of them showed the calcification. I am not questioning whether it is there but am asking whether there is such such a discrepancy between techniques that it would not show up?
2. Does there become a point of no return in terms of fixing the valve?
3. Can this contribute to by bouts (for weeks) of extreme fatigue?
4. Is there anything I can do about the calcification? I am on Plavix, Cardizem CD, Lozol, Folic Acid, and Dilantin (stroke-induced seizure activity).
5. When I mentioned the calcification from earlier reports to my local cariologist, he brushed them off and said that CCF may have just gotten better pictures. My rib cage is small so it is hard to get a good view. Is the calcification important to anything? Is it something to just be brushed off?
6. How far can it spread and what can it do if left unattended?
I don't want surgery because of the risk of stroke - and right now everyone says it would be pretty risky...HOWEVER, I don't want to let something go that should have been taken care of earlier and then regret it, either. I'm not getting any answers out of my current cardiologist. I feel that everyone has pretty much written me off.
Thanks for your assistance,
kd