Mitral valve repair now in continuous a fib after PE

Posted by activegal @activegal, Mar 29 8:50am

Trip to France to ski resulted in pulmonary embolism that caused moderate heart failure and continuous a fib. Found out my mitral valve has moderate stenosis and L atrium is moderately enlarged. Trying to figure out if I can get scar tissue removed from annulus and get my very active life back. Minimally invasive surgery preferred due to very slim build and recovery time. But two surgeons said sternotomy. I had thorocotomy for valve repair 15 years ago and was good as new. Anyone had scarring removed from annulus ring in mitral valve?

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gloaming | @gloaming | Mar 30 3:48pm

Thanks for the additional information and explanations above. I had visions of lesions surrounding the valve and wondered how they somehow stimulated the passage of the signals, but I can see that I was completely out in left field. So, I appreciate the elucidation. There is some other mechanism that, as the valve ages and the scarring cannot support the valve, or impedes its aging function...(?)...the result is a non-sustaining tachy that happens only in the ventricle.

Complicated, ain't it? 😀

activegal | @activegal | Mar 30 4:30pm

Yes, it is complicated for sure and we are not cardiologists. Hopefully, I get a better picture of what’s going on with this little ticker this week when I see a cardiologist new to me. He has been quite dismissive of my questions to date. I’ll keep persisting or insist on another doc. That transesophageal echo I had last Friday should give a better picture of the direction needed I hope. Still I will reach out to several surgeons who are mitral valve repair specialists. The field of cardiac surgery has become super specialized and you really are best to seek out the surgeons with expertise with that damaged valve or whatever heart issue one has. I look at their research interests and experience. Cheers