Pulmonary valve replacement

[RobGT81]

I am heading into hospital on Friday for a bit of valve seat work! Just wondering if any PHers have any experience of this procedure?

Can't say I'm entirely looking forward to a spot of open heart surgery but the surgical team involved have been very good up to now and I feel in safe hands. I have spoke to a few people who have been through this procedure and the outcome looks very positive, most seem to be out of hospital after 5-10 days and back at work after 3 months. Hopefully the weather will be nice by then!

[Davel]

My mate had a defective heart valve replaced recently, along with a section of Aorta.

No idea if it is similar to your procedure, but he's doing really well now.

Good luck!

[Driller]

Don't forget to tell your dentist afterwards. Good luck!

[Slink]

whats the dentist got to do with heart surgery?

[Driller]

Because he'll be taking anticoagulants for life afterwards which makes things bleed a lot during extractions etc.

Also and perhaps more importantly, people with artificial heart valves are at risk of infectious endocarditis in certain situations, which has a 50% mortality rate.

[Slink]

ah right, that I did not know.

[RobGT81]

No need to take anything with an artificial valve, I think its just mechanical ones you need warfarin with? Dentist has always been aware, they like to know when you have a dodgy ticker!

[Driller]

An artificial valve is necessarily a mechanical one. Is yours porcine then?

ETA just realised I got confused with your OP and the second one down. As you were

Oh yeah and good luck with the op!

Edited by Driller on Tuesday 16th April 21:36

Edited by Driller on Tuesday 16th April 21:51

[qureshia]

My dad had this done earlier in the year.

Went to see him in hospital a couple days after the operation, he was sat up but not fully "there" (just about string a conversation together, but a bit dizzy and kind of asked the same question he'd asked 5 minutes earlier)
Lots of pipes stuck in him, loads of chest trauma, my kids were a bit upset seeing him like that.

Less than one week later he was at home, fending for himself, 6 week later he felt great, better than before the op, less out of breath, more energy etc

Good luck

[RobGT81]

Cheers folks, I'll be sure to post the guaranteed photos of me KO'd with a big knob drawn on my face!

[RobGT81]

Valve work carried out satis, still smashed on painkillers but can just about get myself out of bed. Hopefully out tomorrow depending on the results of xrays and other things. Staff at LGI are amazing, can't believe anyone would want to shut the place down.

[Davel]

Still ugly then!

Glad it went well...

[Pferdestarke]

Good to see you smiling! Here's to a speedy recovery with noticeable improvements.

[RobGT81]

Davel said:

Still ugly then!

Glad it went well...

Sadly there was nothing the truly awesome surgeon could do about my ugly mug!

Arrived home Tuesday night, its strange not been able to do a lot. Just climbing the stairs leaves me a bit short of breath, mainly because my ribs are in agony I think!

Having a lot of time to browse the PH Classifieds which could be very dangerous, its going to be a while till the finesse required to get into the Caterham returns!

[Davel]

At least you're on the mend.

Can you not get one of those lift types things that they use to lift folk into the bath for the Caterham?

[steve_bmw]

I guess your going to be a bit sore for a while, keep smiling and hope you make a speedy recovery