6 monthly post valve repair check

[paulcongleton]

Hi. Just had my results from my 6 month mitral valve repair check.

Everything looking good and on the results form everything green apart from one red section.

My left ventricule is extracting blood at 50%. They are classing this as borderline low, is this something i need to chase up, or am i worrying unduly ?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Paul

[Traveldreams]

interested to hear you have had a six month post op. Had my op on 31st January but not had any follow up except post op at 12 weeks. Hope you get some answers.

[paulcongleton in reply to Traveldreams]

Hi. Thanks for the reply, the 6 monthly check was with the valve clinic at Wythenshawe hospital where i had the op

[Traveldreams in reply to paulcongleton]

Great aftercare!

[SlothOnSpeed]

Hi Paul, others may correct me, but I think a decease in EF is expected after repair/replacement. Depends on many pre op things, if you google on google scholar there are many papers on this. Your own cardiologist should be able to give you more personalised information. Good luck.

[paulcongleton in reply to SlothOnSpeed]

Hi. Thanks for the reply, yes on my next appointment at the hospital or doctors i will ask in detail if 50% is normal after this kind of operation. Currently drug free since 12 weeks after the op, so see if need be taking something to help.

[Asteroids]

I had a mitral valve repair almost 6 years ago. I had atrial flutter afterwards and was put on amiodorone to try and rectify it. It didn’t work, so after two months I had a catheter ablation which did work. I stayed on amiodorone for one for quite a few months afterwards.

A year after the valve repair I suddenly started getting quite severe heart stress after exercise - like breathing through cotton wool. Saw the cardiologist and I was diagnosed with heart failure. I’m guessing the residual amiodorone in my system (it apparently stays in your tissue for months) was masking it.

Bisolprolol brought my LVEF up to 46% and the addition of dapagliflozin last year has brought it to 55%, which is the bottom end of normal for a 60+ year old. I can exercise, with a mild reaction if I push it.

Just do what your cardiologist says. Your heart will tell you if it doesn’t like it, at which point go see your cardiologist ASAP and ease back on the exercise until you’ve seen them.

[paulcongleton in reply to Asteroids]

Hi. Thanks for the reply. Currently drug free since 12 weeks post op, so i will ask the question next appointment if i should be taking something to increase it from 50%.

Feel fine since the op, swimming and gym etc landscape gardener as job so active, just this one section on my report come back red, everything else green. Knocked my confidence a little after thinking i was pretty much fixed.

[Asteroids in reply to paulcongleton]

One more thing. I have an echocardiogram every year. If checks the valve is still working fine, but more importantly it’s measuring my LVEF. Keeping that at 55% for as long as possible is my ambition.

[Asteroids]

I thought the same. The valve is working perfectly, but heart failure can be a consequence of a problem with the mitral valve. 50% isn’t too bad and if you’re coping fine then that’s great. The drugs can help if things start to dip. Bisolprolol is a horrid little drug which makes me very dopey, but it’s going to keep me alive. Good luck.

[PadThaiNoodles]

EF can vary widely, and you can have heart failure even with a normal EF. After MV repair my sister's dropped to 35% (though I can't remember how long it took hers to come back up); mine was 55% immediately post-op (MV repair and AV replacement).

If my cardiologist wasn't worried, I wouldn't be worried.