Heart Murmur afterwards valve replacement

[Laurensophie]

Hi Im 4 months post op aortic valve replacement and had a routine appointment at my GP’s who has worried me as she said she can hear a heart murmur 😩. Has anyone else still had a heart murmur after valve replacement? I thought I was doing so well but this is a curveball So worried my mind is going into overdrive x

[andgrant1]

Try not to worry Lauren, murmurs are often harmless. Are they arranging a follow up echo? I’ve had a routine echo too and it has picked up a couple of minor things, most likely related to having the valve op but I’ll know more when I see the consultant. Anyway try not to worry until you know more.

[Laurensophie in reply to andgrant1]

Hi Andy. I go for my 5 month Echocardiogram at Spire next Friday and see my surgeon the following Tuesday. I wasn’t worried at all about this as I’ve been doing well but when my GP said she could hear a heart murmur I just thought my Valve must be leaking 🙈, Admittedly my mind went into overdrive. Hopefully you are ok also when you have your next appointment.

How was Barbados ? We got back on the 5th January to be greeted with Snow If I remember correctly you was there till mid Jan wasn’t you .

[andgrant1 in reply to Laurensophie]

Hi, I don’t think it will mean the valve is leaking necessarily but I understand the worry as I know I worry exactly the same. I feel fine but the noise from the valve click/thump really impacts on my sleep (not sure if you have similar?) and very occasionally it feels like it skips a beat too. I’m with the consultant on Saturday so let’s keep in touch and share notes. Hope all goes well with your further tests and you can have your mind put at ease.

Barbados was such a lovely treat after a tough year, horrible to have to come home to this weather but nearly spring I guess!

[Laurensophie in reply to andgrant1]

Hi. I know it could be lots of different things and my GP did say she wasn’t very familiar with post op valve patients, so I will have to try and keep positive and see what my surgeon says after my echocardiogram.

I also get the very occasional feeling my heart skips a beat and like a little flutter, I remember you saying the clicking was impacting your sleep. I didn’t have the mechanical valve I had the Bovine, so I can’t relate to the clicking,

Hope all goes well Saturday. Please keep in touch and let me know how it goes 🤞

[andgrant1 in reply to Laurensophie]

I sometimes wish I had gone for the bovine version Lauren, it’s a difficult choice to make I know. I’ll let you know how I get on and in the me home hope you’ll be all fine too, please keep in touch also on the group

[Laurensophie in reply to andgrant1]

hi Andy. How did you appointment with your consultant go ?

I saw my surgeon after my echocardiogram and he has reassured me that the murmur my Gp heard was a sound he’s heard hundreds of times after having aortic valve replacement. He said it’s just a different sound. My GP did say she wasn’t experienced in post valve surgery .. She was right to raise the concern though.

What my surgeon did say though was that my “Mean Gradient” ( what ever that is 😩) has gone from 15 mm to 22 mm, he said that he is a little surprised at this and wants me to have another echocardiogram in 2 months and he’s put me back on bisoprolol.

So he’s reassured me about the murmur but scared the life out of me about this new thing 🙈

Hopefully your consultation went better than mine.

[PadThaiNoodles in reply to Laurensophie]

Mean gradient is the average pressure differential across the valve. At your current numbers if your heart pumps at 132mmHg then the pressure in your aortic root will be 110. Before your heart only had to pump at 125 to achieve 110.

“Normal “ for an artificial valve is 8 - 22mmHg.

[DinoCat in reply to Laurensophie]

If you’re asymptomatic, I wouldn’t worry unnecessarily until your imminent echo & surgeon appointments which should indicate if there are any issues. I assume they will also do an ECG which might also pickup any ‘palpitations’. After my AVR I was advised that this does increase the risk of developing arrhythmias, most of which are benign or treatable. If you have a home ECG device it would be worth getting a trace recording of any palpitations you experience before your appointments. If they’re irregular, they’re often not detected by the brief in-hospital ECG checks. If the palpitations are worrying you, you could ask whether a 7-day holter could be used to record exactly what could be happening? There are various different types of palpitations, most of which are not regarded as a concern, especially if the frequency is not at all often.

[Rosanna75]

I think it is quite common to pick up on sounds that resemble a hearth murmur It has happened to me too.

However when they done the echo , they have confirmed just a trivial leak on 2 other valves

Nothing to worry about, apparently Re the ticking noise of the mechanical valve, you get used to it(this is to answer Andy )

I have a mechanical valve from 6 years and believe me, you get used to it.

If I focus, I can hear it, but it doesn't keep me awake any longer

Best wishes to you both x

[Ticktick]

Sending love and prayers dear Laurensophie ♥️

[dubsta]

Try and not worry, easier said than done I know. Best to focus on your ECHO and then seeing your cardiologist who are the experts. Keep us updated on what they say x

[Tlyna]

I've had a murmur most of my life and I am 72 now. I had a TAVR last January and yes I still have a murmur though not as pronounced as before. The cardiologist will monitor it as they will the valve but it isn't likely to be a problem as it wasn't for decades earlier. My cardiologist is experienced and has a good reputation among patients and other physicians. He thinks that I am unlikely to have any problems with it. If your cardiologist isn't worried then don't let the GP scare you. It will be monitored just as your valve will.

[andgrant1]

hi Lauren, hope you can take some reassurance from all the comments on here about your latest tests. I am getting used to the fact that we will need regular monitoring but much of what they are finding is perfectly normal. Keep in touch with your next results and all the best to you. I am doing ok, like you they said at my follow up that there were no major issues, I have now developed raynauds so they have changed my amlodipine blood pressure tablets to a new one called nifedipine to try to target that. There’s always something! If anyone on this group has experience of this I’d love to hear from them!