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Aortic Valve Replacement with TAVR: What is it like?
Heart & Blood Health | Last Active: Nov 28, 2023 | Replies (58)Comment receiving replies
Hello @karen1948 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I can certainly understand your concern about having another procedure that might result in another "brain attack" and/or stroke.
I would encourage you to get a second opinion at a heart care center. Please know that it is always a patient's right to get a second opinion.
There are several of these centers in different parts of the U.S. I see from your profile that you are a resident of Florida. Are you aware that there is a Mayo Clinic facility in Jacksonville, FL?
Here is the link to get appointment information, https://www.mayoclinic.org/appointments?
Did your current cardiologist give you any reason in particular why you had this happened to you after the catheterization?
Replies to "Hello @karen1948 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I can certainly understand your concern about having..."
I am sorry for your health challenges. My husband had his aortic valve replaced at age 77. The valve was leaking due to age and genetic defect. Surgery was successful but he was on the table for five hours. Immediately after surgery he had noticeable changes in memory. Heart surgery is very stressful on the body. No one ever mentioned that one of the possible side effects of heart surgery is the effect on the brain. Long story short: the Alzheimer's that was attacking his brain (and was unknown to us) kicked into high gear and he is now residing is assisted living. NO easy choices.
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Thank you, Teresa. This was my second opinion. I had gone to a cardiologist in my town who did not instill confidence in me. I then went to Mayo Clinic, and that is where I had the catheterization. I was told that the stroke could have been caused by some calcium deposits in the aorta that broke away and went to my brain. After I was treated, the neurologist said that there were just three tiny spots of brain damage, and I am grateful that there are no residual effects. If the stroke had happened at the heart/vascular center where I would have been if I’d stayed with my original cardiologist, I don’t know if I would have had the same outcome. I spent the 24 hours on the Neurology floor at Mayo with excellent care.
I will be having a CT cardiac angiogram at Mayo next week. After that, I’ll talk to the surgeon and get more questions answered. This is such a hard decision. If I have another stroke, my life as I know it could be over. I might not even survive the TAVR procedure. I’ll know more next week. Hardest decision I’ve ever had to make.