Mitral Valve Calcification.

[Norm]

Hi All,

Don’t know if anyone has any thoughts.

I had my aortic valve replaced at the beginning of this year with one CABG

Apparently they also did a Pulmonary Vein Isolation and left atrial appendage excision sometimes referred to as a Mini-Maze procedure.

Since that time I have been in continual Afib.

I recently had an ECHO which found my left atrium is severely dilated and had calcification of the mitral valve with no significant gradient across it.

I have been very short of energy and breath and am due for a cardioversion on 3rd November.

The Afib fortunately does not appear to worry me too much though it does affect my sleep.

I am a little concerned about all this particularly the calcification of the mitral valve with no significant gradient across it.

Does anyone know what it means, I can’t seem to find anything understandable on Google.

Best to you all

Norm

[Mrspat]

Medical professionals are taught to ask us if we have any questions. What they rarely appreciate is that we do not always know which questions to ask. Silence is taken as understanding. They give us information, sometimes out of the blue, that we really want to go away and think about or do our own research about. The opportunity for asking questions or making decisions may then not come around again for a long while.

[Norm]

Thanks both for your thoughts.

Main problem is that the information is only in a three line letter sent to my GP and copied to myself with details of ECHO. I will be see my GP tomorrow so will ask then what it means but other than your suggestion to email my cardiologists secretary I don't know when I will see him next, probably only after my cardioversion if that fails.

[MarkS]

With mitral valve stenosis, there can be a pressure increase between the two sides of the mitral valve as the blood flow is restricted. If the flow is unrestricted there should be no pressure difference (referred to as gradient). So I think that the fact that you do not have a gradient shows your mitral valve calcification is not too bad. See:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitra...

There is a lot in there you can google. I would do as much research as possible before seeing the doctor so you know just what questions to ask.