Waiting room door well & truly open: Aortic Valve and Aneurysm surgery in 12 days!

[StevepH2012]

After 5 and a half years of annual, 6 & 3 monthly scans etc. my waiting room door has been thrown open by my surgeon - I have today been given a surgery date.

I am a 56 y-o father of 3, with a moderately stenosed Bicuspid Valve, 5.2 cm Aortic aneurysm with a distended root and until the tail-end of last year I'd have described myself as asymptomatic.

For the last two years or so I've lurked on this site and found great comfort and wise advice on many occasions from the personal stories posted. I'll try to return the favour over the next few weeks - especially as the 'current situation' seems to make every aspect even more difficult and stressful than it would be 'normally' - and there will, presumably be fewer people going through this at this time.

One question myself and the other half haven't quite bottomed out is to what extent is one required/advised to shield form the dreaded C-19 once returned home?

More to follow (If you want!)

[ITSINTHEBAG9]

I think it may be from now Steve. I would be inclined to ring the hospital and double-check as soon as you can.

[StevepH2012 in reply to ITSINTHEBAG9]

Hi

Thanks for replying so fast -Yep - shield from now, NHS are apparently enforcing 14 days shielding pre-op strictly now.

Question is for how long once I return home? - I'm sure they'll say in next few days but I have 10 y-o and 25 y-o daughters to upset/reassure....and you know the trouble with girls, they want to know NOW!

[ITSINTHEBAG9 in reply to StevepH2012]

I'd discuss all this with the hospital Steve. I'll take it that the ten year old is not at school. I'll presume the 25 year old is working or is she currently on furlough.

[Wildmeadow in reply to StevepH2012]

You need two months to recover Steve- so would be sensible to work around a time line of your recovery- but the hospital team will confirm all of that! Best of luck. X

[RoyM]

Good look Steve. I am in the same situation has your good self, perhaps a few months behind bi aortic valve and 4.8cm (measured by CT Jan 2020) root and arch. At present watch and wait I had a CT scan (today, Tuesday) at LHCH telephone with consultant on Wednesday, and see what happens. Good Luck Steve. Roy

[swingyourpants]

As I said Steve. My advice was don't get or you can't get any infection pre Op. You must shield at least 8 weeks post op. Personally, I'd wait a bit longer. Why risk it if you can shield without too much bother.

Myself or the other helpful people on here are not medical professionals.

[Purple1935]

Hi Steve, that is great news to finally have a date for surgery after so much uncertainty & worry for you & your family.

Just think in 12 days time you will be on your healthy heart journey back to a ‘normal’ life.

It seems at the moment you would need to self isolate for 2 weeks post op ( they are the instructions for our hospital)

You probably won’t feel like going anywhere for a while but maybe you were thinking of visitors?

I wish you all the best & look forward to hearing how you are post op.

Best Wishes & speedy recovery

Alison

[Oboebec]

Good luck with the op & recovery. As newly diagnosed with a TAA, I also look for posts on here - will definitely look out for more news from you!

Xx

[Gog40]

All the best Steve. I am due a Triple Bypass, Aortic Valve and Aortic Root Aneurism in August. Just waiting for my CT Aortagram next week I think. I will follow your recovery with interest.

[Cliff_G]

Hi, StevepH2012 , re after your op, whilst heart and arterial conditions are not generally listed on many of the national guidelines, nor do many such people receive letters, regarding a recommendation to "shield", the more we know about COVID the more there are concerns raised about its effect on cardiac and circulatory systems. One of the problems is of hyper-coagulation, i.e. a tendency for COVID to make your blood clot much more than it would usually, especially in very small blood vessels, and indeed more than would be prevented by normal levels of Warfarin or other anti-coagulants, such as for stroke/A-Fib/etc.

As someone who has had an aortic dissection and now lives with an extensive graft and a metal aortic valve, and whilst I also have had no letter advising me to shield, I am indeed shielding and am very loathe to start going out where people are even though shielding in the UK is now on pause. I am not particularly at a greater risk of catching COVID (such as would be the case for those with immune deficiency) but were I to get it, yes, I very much am at a greater risk of complications.

Only you can judge your own situation. With me it's easy, I'm retired, I live rurally, and don't need to go where there are other people. It will probably be different for you, but if I were you I would be thinking seriously about avoiding COVID at all costs.

Good luck with your op. - elective is definitely better than emergency. Where are you going?

[StevepH2012 in reply to Cliff_G]

Hi Cliff,

I'm pretty sure I need to shield as much as I can - catching any infection in 1st few weeks would be fairly catastrophic.

My wife is teacher and we have 10 y-o and 25 y-o daughters at home - so 100% shield will be challenging come term-time.

I had op at Harefield last Saturday, discharged on Wednesday! So far so good - being 56 rather than 66 has helped recovery I think.

Steve

[Cliff_G]

That's fantastic, Steve, glad it went well, and that's a pretty impressive discharge time after the op. Look after yourself, take it easy, shield - as you say - and keep your BP down. I'm sure the docs will tell you. Have they offered you cardiac rehab (yet?)