My husband is scheduled for ROSS next week.
How much help would he need once he's back gone? How much help will he need walking, sitting, getting up, showering, etc.?
Please tell me your experiences and independence week by week...
I want to be prepared. TIA.
I'm going for a catheter to measure my valves this month and decide what the next step is (more so when it should happen). I am 23 female and I'm so nervous for open heart surgery for aortic valve replacement. Can anyone give me any insight on how theirs went or what to expect?? I'm so scared mainly of dying and how scared I will be after surgery. I will post a pic of notes from my newest dr visit in the comments if I'm able to
Hello guys!
Context: 38M, BAV, known about it for 15 years. At the start it was mild stenosis, mild regurgitation, now it is moderate stenosis, mod->severe regurgitation. The LV is looking good, EF is 61%(which is good but not great, last year it was 64%). Typical runner phisique, skinny(but not ripped, 188 cm, 69 kg-i think it matters for heart strain how many kg you are carrying).
I took a break of 1 year and restarted running. For me running means: 40 min, easy pace(5:30 minutes/km), in the park. Sometimes I run more(like 60 min) but never less than 40 min.
I always run in the morning, usually in the first hour after waking up. I never had a problem with it.
It's been 3 months since I restarted running and I notice the following pattern:
On days that I run I feel very tired for the rest of the day. This happens regardless if i sleep good/bad, or if I train fasted/not-fasted/light snack before the run.
On days that I do not run at all I feel fine.
Very important to note: the run itself does not feel exhausting. Usually I stop just because I reached my goal, not because I can not go on for longer.
So if you read all this, here are my questions:
I am 43, diagnosed with BAV, and they will do the replacement in two weeks.
I am thinking about playing it "risky" and going the "modern technology/science" route...which means bovine pericardial tissue that was heavily modified and does not need to be stored in aldehyde solution (I am quoting Edwards Technology here) which is the main culprit for higher calcification rates.
The risky part is, that I am hoping that TAVI (valve in valve replacement) will be finally approved for younger people in the near future...so I can get 20+20 years out of it with no big impact in my daily life and sleep.
What I am really unsure about is that Edwards is overselling/overestimating their product. Real data only exists for about 5 years (well, it is a new technology) and the simulation data that showed 50 years of mechanical resilience was in a sterile environment without biological agents (I assume this is the main problem for valves).
So, yeah, long story short...what is your take on all of this? Did anyone go this route and risked it with a 'RESILIA' valve?
Thanks.
My husband (58) has BAV and is having a mini thoracotomy in a few weeks for an aortic valve replacement. He's been nervous enough but Monday we had a Cardiac Surgery Pre-Operative Class and now he's really scared. Less about the actual surgery and more about the immediate recovery. They told us he would come into the ICU still having the intubation tube for anywhere from a half an hour to up to 3 hours. That he would have small tube in his neck besides the 2-3 other IV's. AND he will have a chest tube on each side. He won't move to a regular room until the chest tubes come out. The intubation and chest tubes are really freaking him out. He's even joked about not doing the surgery.
Can anyone who remembers this part of recovery or a spouse who was there and went through it with them please share you're experience? I don't know how to put his mind at ease. I would so appreciate any help.
Thank you.
As some of you will know my Ross procedure “failed” 4-5 months post op and I need a second surgery. Which is finally happening next week at the 6 months mark since my first surgery and I’m going mechanical, id like to hear everyone’s thoughts who have a mechanical valve seemings I was trying my best to stay away from blood thinners along as possible aswell as the pros/cons cheers
Hi everyone,
I’m curious to hear about people’s real-life experiences with dating after a valve replacement (mechanical or tissue). At any point, has it ever been a dealbreaker or a turn-off for someone you were dating? Or has it generally not been an issue?
I’m also wondering if it has affected anyone’s confidence or performance sexually in any way—whether physically or mentally.
Another thing I’ve been thinking about: do you usually tell someone you’re dating right away that you’ve had open heart surgery, or do you wait a few dates? How do you decide when to bring it up?
If you’re comfortable sharing, it would really help to include your gender and a bit about your dating experience (casual dating, long-term relationships, etc.), just to give some context.
I’d really appreciate any honest insights—good, bad, or neutral. Thanks in advance!
Hey guys, so I’m 24 years old was diagnosed at around 15 years old due to tests for something else. I have been going every 1-3 years, it has now been 3.5 years since my last cardio appt, I was due for one at 3 years. My cardiologist is contacting me to schedule my next appt but I am so torn on if I want to do it, lately I’ve been having anxiety thinking about it all and I almost feel I’d rather live as peacefully as possible not knowing its condition until something happens, as opposed to going to an appt and having them say it’s getting worse and I need intervention and then my whole life being flipped upside down and ruining everything. If I go for an appt and they tell me bad news my life will certainly never be the same and I will not have any chance of having a single day of peace or happiness until it is sorted… I just don’t know what to do
Hi! A few months ago I posted about meeting with my surgeon and opting for the Ross Procedure (I am a 27 yo F in Houston). Well, I am less than three weeks from this procedure! Recently, and expectedly, I have been becoming increasingly anxious and emotional whenever I think too much about my surgery. I have NEVER had a surgery before, or have undergone any sort of anesthesia, so I am a bit nervous. My anxieties generally surround surviving the surgery. If anyone has any tips/tricks to ease the mind a little bit more, I would greatly appreciate them!
I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve, parachute mitral valve, and coarctation of the aortic valve. I'm 26 now.
In the last five years, things have deteriorated. Stenosis has become severe and in my last three ultrasounds, my EF is 30%. I'm also experiencing pain in my chest and shortness of breath when I exert myself, but weirdly, it's gotten better with the meds they gave me (propanolol, entresto, jardiance, lasix, metoprolol.) My heart failure specialist says I should get surgery to have the valve replaced.
The cherry on the cake is that I was literally just fired from my job and my insurance runs out this month. I'm wondering if this is as concerning as he's saying?
I know it's stupid to question these doctors. I'm being seen at Mt Sinai and they know what they're doing. I was just really hoping I wouldn't need surgery until I was in my 30s at least.
My hubby’s surgery is scheduled for this Friday, 5/8. If you could please give me recommendations for before, during and after, I’d appreciate it, like: -things to bring to the hospital -tricks that helped with recovery Thanks❤️🩹
56M, 5'11. I was scheduled for a aortic valve replacement due to a BAV and regurgitation in 5 days. In preparation, I had a CT scan done last week. The surgeon says my ascending aorta is mildly dilated at 4.1 cm. Yesterday, he recommended replacing it with a synthetic graph while he's in there replacing the aortic valve.
I don't know how fast it's been growing. It seems to have been stable since my original EEG in October 2025. This caught me a little by surprised as none of the other discussions with surgeons ever mentioned replacing the aorta. The complexity, risk, and length of surgery (cross-clamp times) are higher in doing both but may avoid a future surgery.
Has anyone had this same or similar issue? Did. you opt to have the ascending aorta replaced at the same time? Did any of you defer this?
Hey there I am a 38 year old with BAV and severe aortic valve stenosis. I am having a valve replaced in June and my surgeon has indicated that the best two options I have are either a mechanical valve or a Ross procedure. I generally know the pros and cons of each, including the impact of blood thinners and the potential need for additional surgery in the future. But I was just wondering what others in a similar situation chose and why?
Thank you!
This has been discussed a couple of times on here, but is anyone here on long term beta blockers? I am a bit over a year post op for an emergency bentall procedure and have a mechanical valve + graft, and still on metoprolol. I am back to working out and my ct and everything showed I was very stable. My strength and cardio is getting back up to speed, but still feels a bit limited due to the metoprolol. Anyone ever ween off of it?
Has anyone here experienced loss of sexual desire after minimally invasive heart surgery? I had valve replacement
Hi there
Following up on Tissue or Mech (34M) : r/valvereplacement
I’ve done it; I’m on the other side of surgery. 27mm Mechanical Valve (I don’t know the brand yet, but probably St. Jude).
My journey began in February when I was diagnosed with Severe Aortic Regurgitation with a dilated LD of 52mm and Pulmonary presion at 44 (double the normal) thanks to a heads-up from my dentist. I mentioned I had a headache during an appointment, so they checked my blood pressure; that prompted me to get my hypertension looked into. From there, I went to a specialist and finally to the cardiologist who diagnosed me after a very thorough 3D echocardiogram and told me I would need open-heart surgery. That was Dr. Miriam Zuñiga (who happens to be my same age). I cried a lot during the first two weeks of that month. During those weeks, I put my affairs in order, spoke with my family, and left certain "things" prepared with instructions. It was also during this time that I started my process with the IMSS (Mexico’s public healthcare system) to have my surgery at a high-specialty, high-volume clinic.
Between February and March, I researched and bought what I needed, and I started looking for forums and support groups to help me understand a 34-year-old condition in just two months (I didn't know I had BAV or that I would need surgery).
March: I had my first appointment. By the first week of March, I was cleared for surgery based on the tests I brought with me. During this month, my "admission" was rescheduled five times. On March 11th, I finally got admitted. March 18th was the open-heart surgery. March 25th, I was discharged from the hospital with an INR of 2.9.
As of today—post-op, with a 27mm mechanical valve (still don't know the brand, the public health system hasn't told me)—I wouldn't recommend a second or third surgery. My body is recovering very well, but it is very invasive, and the permanent side effects after a surgery like this are many.
Currently, I am taking one pill of Warfarin and Losartan as per medical instructions. I hope to be taken off the Losartan over time.
BTW: I been eating what I want just carefully and monitoring my INR
Thank you, everyone...
Just over a year ago I had a mechanical installed. Been a heck of a year but over all SOOOOOO much better.
Hey everyone,
I (32M) had a open mitral valve repair done in late January this year and since then recovery has gone well. I'm back at work, have taken up running, swimming and cycling and the sternum pain is pretty much gone except for a occasional little twitchy feeling on my sternum scar.
Even though my surgeon has cleared me to resume normal life I'm not sure when I should start doing push ups and bench press again as I was into weight lifting prior to my surgery. Every time I try to do a push up I can't help but feel mentally uncomfortable. There's no pain in the sternum but a little tightness on the skin.
When did you guys start lifting heavy again or doing strenuous activity involving your chest ?
Thanks everyone.
Hi everyone! I’m grateful to see there is a subreddit for this procedure.
I wanted to gain more clarity about what my dad will go through and wanted to know how to be a support to my father during this challenging time.
My father experienced endocarditis not too long ago and it has damaged one of his heart valves. He was sick for about 5 months until he was admitted to a hospital for further examination. Once he was discharged he had to do a 8 week treatment of IV treatment of antibiotics. He is now looking so much better and has gained some weight and strength again which is so comforting to see! But, the bacteria unfortunately has destroyed one of his valves and he needs to have this procedure done. He wants to use human tissue but if it is not granted he will go with mechanical.
I’m grateful he has been openly communicating with me but I would love to hear how it went for you and similar stories if any of you would mind sharing. I understand this is a very invasive but necessary procedure and want to be as a supportive and positive as I can because I love my dad.
Thank you!
This week someone I met here in this forum gave me his powered recliner to use after surgery. I’m super grateful, as they’re expensive. I will definitely be offering it free to someone in the Seattle area after I no longer need it! if you're having OHS in Seattle after July, let me know! They’re expensive, and this is a nice one.
I‘m starting to feel like I’m becoming reconciled with the prospect of this. Still scared. Still worrying about what the future looks like. But at least this way I HAVE a future.