Questions for Doctor

[ipudel]

I am consulting with 2 different surgeons next week about my upcoming aortic valve replacement.  I am trying to think of questions that I want to ask.  I am a 63 year old female and apparently have clear arteries so the surgery should be a straigt forward valve replacement.  If anyone has experience of questions they wished they had asked or questions they were glad they did fine out about, please respond,.  Thanks, jj

[Archibald S Miller III, MD,FACS]

You might also ask the doctor if they plan on using a talon for closure. This is a method of rigid fixation that has proven to be very effective when doing sternotomies, and also allows for rapid re-entry which is always a consideration with valvular surgery. Go to the web site rapidsternalclosure.com tro see an animation of the procedure.I am Dr. Arch Miller and am on the reconstructive forum.

[kenkeith]

I have a poor functioning mitral valve so a replacement intervention or repair operation may be in my future so I have an interest and done some research.

You are fortunate not to have any ischemia.  If I didn't have blocked arteries, I could probably get by with minimal intervention with a repair, but with occluded vessels the risk is greater and doctors would want to do work on the vessels at the time of valve operation.  That is my understanding.

What you will be asked to decide is whether the replacement you want is mechanical valve or biotic (pig or bovine) valve.  The mechanical lasts much longer, but requires continued medication (warifarin), and there is a clicking sound heard  that some find annoying.

The biotic replacement does not have a funcitonal life span greater than about 10 years.  But no other other downside that I am aware.

[erijon]

We are not doctos on this forrum, it is a support forum made up of individuals like you. There is an Expert Forum, you should post your question there. It may be hard to get on as they can only take 2 questions a day, but keep trying throughout the day as they open it up to questions by time zones.

Good Luck!

Jon