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Sl
Guest
Hi all...
My mom, 58, is having heart valve replacement surgery tomorrow morning. They are replacing the
aortic valve and possibly the mitric valve as well - they were unable to determine from their pre-
operative tests if the mitric valve replacement would be necessary and won't know until during the
surgery. In any case, she's opted for the tissue / animal replacement valves rather than the
artificial mechanical valve.
Understandably, she's quite scared about many aspects of this procedure, especially, I think, what
her life is going to be like afterwards. If there's anyone who can share their experiences as to
what sort of life one can live after this type of procedure, both in the near term (recovery) and
the long term, I would really appreciate hearing from you.
I'd also like to know, if anyone does know, how undergoing this procedure might affect one's ability
to undergo physical therapy. To make a long story short, she was in the hospital for about two weeks
with a variety of issues (including a staph infection that the doctors think probably lead to her
heart valve damage), then she was discharged to a nursing home where she was undergoing some
physical therapy to help her regain her strength. After she was there for two weeks, the symptoms of
her valve damage began to manifest and she's been back in the hospital for the last two weeks as the
doctors performed a bunch of tests. So, by the time she's recovered enough from the immediate
effects of the surgery to begin physical therapy again, she'll have been 99% bed-ridden for seven or
eight weeks at a minimum.
Again, I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who can lend me any information about this.
Thanks!
My mom, 58, is having heart valve replacement surgery tomorrow morning. They are replacing the
aortic valve and possibly the mitric valve as well - they were unable to determine from their pre-
operative tests if the mitric valve replacement would be necessary and won't know until during the
surgery. In any case, she's opted for the tissue / animal replacement valves rather than the
artificial mechanical valve.
Understandably, she's quite scared about many aspects of this procedure, especially, I think, what
her life is going to be like afterwards. If there's anyone who can share their experiences as to
what sort of life one can live after this type of procedure, both in the near term (recovery) and
the long term, I would really appreciate hearing from you.
I'd also like to know, if anyone does know, how undergoing this procedure might affect one's ability
to undergo physical therapy. To make a long story short, she was in the hospital for about two weeks
with a variety of issues (including a staph infection that the doctors think probably lead to her
heart valve damage), then she was discharged to a nursing home where she was undergoing some
physical therapy to help her regain her strength. After she was there for two weeks, the symptoms of
her valve damage began to manifest and she's been back in the hospital for the last two weeks as the
doctors performed a bunch of tests. So, by the time she's recovered enough from the immediate
effects of the surgery to begin physical therapy again, she'll have been 99% bed-ridden for seven or
eight weeks at a minimum.
Again, I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who can lend me any information about this.
Thanks!