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How To Rule Out Heart Failure Post Chronic Valve Dysfunction Treatment?
Question: I HAVE HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH HEART SURGERY AND FEEL THAT I AM HAVING HEART FAILURE AND I WANT TO ASK MY DR WHAT MY REFRACTION RATE IS I HAD A BOVINE MITRAL VALVE PUT IN 3 YEARS AGO WHICH I WAS TOLD WAS FAILING
tHE SURGEON SAID I NEEDED IT REPLACED,. hE WENT IN MY RIGHT SIDE AND WHEN HE REMOVED THE OLD VALVE IT WEAKENED THE WALL OF MY HEART
SO HE PUT A PATCH IN. wHENi WAS READY TO COME HOME FROM THE SURGERY THE PATCH BLEW OUT AND I HAD TO HAVE IMMEDIATE SURGERY (THIS TIME CUTTING MY CHEST OPEN DOWN THE FRONT) TO REMOVE THE NEW MECHANICAL VALVE AND NOW PUT A BIGGER PATCH IN AND ANOTHER NEW sT XXXXXXX MECHANICAL HEART VALVE. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RECOVER. I HAVE TO WALK REALLY SLOW...mY OXYGEN LEVEL IS 96 BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE OXYGEN IS NOT BEING PUMPED BY MY HEART TO THE REST OF MY BODY.
when HE WAS UNDER MY ARM AND THE PROBLEMS AROSE; HE HAD TO MAKE A BIG INCISION AND BROKE ONE OF MY RIBS TO HAVE ROOM TO DO THE REPAIR.
YYYY@YYYY
tHE SURGEON SAID I NEEDED IT REPLACED,. hE WENT IN MY RIGHT SIDE AND WHEN HE REMOVED THE OLD VALVE IT WEAKENED THE WALL OF MY HEART
SO HE PUT A PATCH IN. wHENi WAS READY TO COME HOME FROM THE SURGERY THE PATCH BLEW OUT AND I HAD TO HAVE IMMEDIATE SURGERY (THIS TIME CUTTING MY CHEST OPEN DOWN THE FRONT) TO REMOVE THE NEW MECHANICAL VALVE AND NOW PUT A BIGGER PATCH IN AND ANOTHER NEW sT XXXXXXX MECHANICAL HEART VALVE. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RECOVER. I HAVE TO WALK REALLY SLOW...mY OXYGEN LEVEL IS 96 BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE OXYGEN IS NOT BEING PUMPED BY MY HEART TO THE REST OF MY BODY.
when HE WAS UNDER MY ARM AND THE PROBLEMS AROSE; HE HAD TO MAKE A BIG INCISION AND BROKE ONE OF MY RIBS TO HAVE ROOM TO DO THE REPAIR.
YYYY@YYYY
Brief Answer:
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
First I would like to explain you that after such a complicated clinical course (two consecutive surgical procedures within one week) it is normal to feel depressed, apathetic and even downcast.
As you have suffered from a chronic valve dysfunction it is possible that some kind of cardiomyopathy to be present.
To define if heart failure is really present, besides a thorough cardiac ultrasound (to investigate a possible systolic and diastolic dysfunction) is necessary to review your actual clinical status.
Do you have shortness of breathing on exertion or during rest (during sleeping or sitting)?
Do you have a declive edema (lower limbs edema)?
What about your last chest X ray: does it show any signs of pleural effusion or pulmonary congestion?
And what about your complete blood count?A decreased hemoglobin and hematocrit level may lead to profound weakness and even dyspnea.
Do you have fever actually?
Please could you upload all the above information that I have asked you (a clinical detail, cardiac ultrasound report, chest X ray report, blood tests : complete blood count, PCR, NT-pro BNP, sedimentation rate, fasting glucose, liver and renal function tests, blood electrolytes and thyroid function tests), thus to be possible for me to give my professional opinion about heart failure symptomatology.
Hope to have been helpful!
Feel free to ask any other questions, whenever you need!
Greetings!
Dr. Iliri
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
First I would like to explain you that after such a complicated clinical course (two consecutive surgical procedures within one week) it is normal to feel depressed, apathetic and even downcast.
As you have suffered from a chronic valve dysfunction it is possible that some kind of cardiomyopathy to be present.
To define if heart failure is really present, besides a thorough cardiac ultrasound (to investigate a possible systolic and diastolic dysfunction) is necessary to review your actual clinical status.
Do you have shortness of breathing on exertion or during rest (during sleeping or sitting)?
Do you have a declive edema (lower limbs edema)?
What about your last chest X ray: does it show any signs of pleural effusion or pulmonary congestion?
And what about your complete blood count?A decreased hemoglobin and hematocrit level may lead to profound weakness and even dyspnea.
Do you have fever actually?
Please could you upload all the above information that I have asked you (a clinical detail, cardiac ultrasound report, chest X ray report, blood tests : complete blood count, PCR, NT-pro BNP, sedimentation rate, fasting glucose, liver and renal function tests, blood electrolytes and thyroid function tests), thus to be possible for me to give my professional opinion about heart failure symptomatology.
Hope to have been helpful!
Feel free to ask any other questions, whenever you need!
Greetings!
Dr. Iliri
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I do not have all that niformation. ..I will try to see what I can find. I am writing this but the person that actually is having the problems is my husband, XXXXXXX Ramey.
We started the question and he had to leave for a dr appt. His heart Dr and his heart Surgeon are two different people. He had an appt today with his dr and I guesshe wastold that his surgeon will be telling him his refraction wweek in 2 months.
His shortness of breath is when walking and not at rest. He has been on water pills for the swelling and it has quit swelling for a little over a week now.
He is on iron pills and is having blood tests 2 times a week. One for warfarin level and the other will let us know his iron level..I just wish there was some way for me to know if anyone else has had the same problems and haw they fared.
We started the question and he had to leave for a dr appt. His heart Dr and his heart Surgeon are two different people. He had an appt today with his dr and I guesshe wastold that his surgeon will be telling him his refraction wweek in 2 months.
His shortness of breath is when walking and not at rest. He has been on water pills for the swelling and it has quit swelling for a little over a week now.
He is on iron pills and is having blood tests 2 times a week. One for warfarin level and the other will let us know his iron level..I just wish there was some way for me to know if anyone else has had the same problems and haw they fared.
Brief Answer:
Opinoin as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hi again!
Seems that you have suffered from overt heart failure, as you have experienced dyspnea when walking and swelling.
At this point it is important to review the actual cardiac performance and other associated cardiac and pulmonary circulation variables by a cardiac ultrasound exam.
Also precipitating factors of heart failure should be sought, as an optimal treatment of such underlying components could avoid future heart failure exacerbations.
One obvious precipitating factor is anemia. It is necessary an optimal treatment and supervision of anemia.
A persistent inflammation/infection should be excluded as well.
Meanwhile, I encourage you to provide all the above recommended medical tests, as they could give valuable clues for a better management of your actual clinical status.
am at your disposal for further explanations whenever you need!
Kind regards,
Dr.Iliri
Opinoin as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hi again!
Seems that you have suffered from overt heart failure, as you have experienced dyspnea when walking and swelling.
At this point it is important to review the actual cardiac performance and other associated cardiac and pulmonary circulation variables by a cardiac ultrasound exam.
Also precipitating factors of heart failure should be sought, as an optimal treatment of such underlying components could avoid future heart failure exacerbations.
One obvious precipitating factor is anemia. It is necessary an optimal treatment and supervision of anemia.
A persistent inflammation/infection should be excluded as well.
Meanwhile, I encourage you to provide all the above recommended medical tests, as they could give valuable clues for a better management of your actual clinical status.
am at your disposal for further explanations whenever you need!
Kind regards,
Dr.Iliri
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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