Connect
Mitral valve repair-Open Heart better?
I’m 77 yo woman dx w Mitral valve prolapse in ‘08 who was relatively healthy and still working in an active job until @ 74 developed PEs, lung infarction w bleeding that affected my liver, pleural effusion etc. Supplemental O2 for a few months while I did an online pulmonary rehab and returned to health though I did retire. Soon after, my cardio diagnosed afib ( which probably caused the PEs) and since I was already on Eliquis, didn’t bother me too much. Had 1 episode a year, always symptomatic w lightheaded and woozy. I’d sit and read and it would resolve in 4-6 hours per my Kardia mobile and my symptoms. However, about 2 months ago I began afib that wouldn’t stop. And I was so short of breath, lightheaded shaky and weak! A different experience. However, if I rested w my feet up, I was pretty comfortable w symptoms but still in afib. Since then I’ve had cardioversion & afib now comes whenever my heart rate goes over about 115- like with a shower and getting dressed. Goes away if I sit. Heart team says sit when symptomatic - this is hard -it’s a lot of sitting. PF ablation next week but my LA is quite enlarged and the cardiac surgeon from a local well respected hospital says that when they fix the valve, he only does open heart now. He says patients had worse pain management w minimally invasive as well as it took more time on the pump.
Would appreciate hearing from folks who’ve had one or the other MVP repair. What was your decision making based on?
and what was your experience re recovery from either method?
Open heart is a real challenge to my peace of mind at this point but my QOL is 2/10.
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart & Blood Health Support Group.
Connect
Hi @babheart, and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! You have come to a good place to visit with others as you get ready for Pulsed Field Ablation and enlarged LA repair.
I am tagging @jaybird24, @mikaylar, @milkmaid and @aard who have commented about valve repair.
You mention PF ablation next week. Do you know when you will get your valve repaired?
Backup plan: If you live near and can travel to Raleigh, NC, contact this office to have your test results reviewed, especially your latest echo. Send them to the great cardiac surgeon, Dr. Byron Boulton; set up a consultation visit, perhaps by phone. He is Director of the WakeMed Structural Heart Program at WakeMed in Raleigh, NC. Phone (919) 231-6333. I had a serious regurgitation/mitral valve problem and AFIB (all caused by a gum/dental infection after questionable dental work). He repaired my mitral valve, did an LAAC, and did an ablation to cure my AFIB. That was over three and ½ years ago. I am as fine as wine, off all meds too, except for 4 amoxicillin before dental visits. I am a soon-to-be 82-year-old male, just a kid. So, get the right doctor to do the ablation, it's as much an art as a science.
Finally, Please read "The AFIB Cure".
Regards,
Sagan
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 Reactions@jlharsh Thx for the welcome! At this point my cardiologist & the surgeon seem to be hoping the ablation will relieve my sx of breathlessness etc w activity. They see my regurg plume as still moderate on TEE & despite LAvi enlargement over 54 think that I can wait for repair. They are puzzled by my intolerance of activity ( breathlessness, afib if HR goes over 115-20, lightheaded, shaky, weak feeling) and wonder if there’s a pulmonary issue. SpO2 are usually >95 and chest CT/X-rays show nothing significant. R side of heart looks fine. To be clear, above sx did improve after cardioversion and I go in and out of afib now . I was surprised that minimally invasive surgery is off the table and am trying yo get my head around that.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@saganjames thanks for the positive report! I will look for that resource!
@babheart I had minimally invasive mitral valve surgery coming on 2 years ago. I was told that minimally invasive surgery was more painful than a thoracotomy, but minimally invasive heals faster. So I'm surprised minimally invasive is off the table also.
More time on the pump??? I assume that's bypass; I don't know how the two would compare.
Anyway, my experiences was going into surgery around 2 or 2:30 in the afternoon and my wife could come see me around 6 or 6:30, ...as I remember. I was in intensive care that night, and moved to the cardiac center the next day.
I was in the hospital for 4 or 5 days and there was definitely some pain nothing intolerable, but all well managed by my excellent cadre of nurses. The majority of the pain was from the chest tubes - quite uncomfortable, but once removed, pain was much less. By the time I got home, I took few pain meds - I think hydrocodone for a couple days, maybe a couple times a day, then none. All the best.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 Reactions@aard thank you for sharing that!
@babheart I had mitral valve replacement with a bovine valve in 2013 (pacemaker in 2012), and was open heart surgery . Overall came thru fine and lasted until 2024 when I had a replacement done thru the groin with an “aortic” valve (for the mitral / bovine valve). No issues with the surgeries just some adjustments with meds. As far as recoveries: open heart was somewhat more painful but definitely manageable but longer. Had to heal scar and had a heart pillow to hug when I coughed. The minimally invasive/thru groin, was no pain for me at all and quick healing. Hardest part was laying still for two hours after to insure I didn’t bleed. But not painful for me. If I have an option in the future I’ll. Choose thru the groin again. Home quick, healed quick and really no pain to speak of.
Had AFIb prior to open heart and none since. (I do have a pacemaker). And remember, mine was a full replacement, not a repair. Hope this helps you.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 Reactions@camaroyo thank you- that is helpful♥️
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@camaroyo What you had was a transcatheter valve replacement. Minimally invasive is when they go between the ribs to access the heart as opposed to a thoracotomy, where they split your sternum to access the heart. It still requires bypass and I believe is still considered "open heart" surgery.
Yes I believe that (or MVR) for Mitral valve is the correct terminology. Thanks for correcting me.