Open heart surgery

Hi;
I had my mitral valve replaced in 2017 with minimally invasive surgery(they went in under my right breast). The doctor may have good reasons for wanting to do open heart procedure on him but in general there are absolutely less invasive options. Ask him why he thinks open heart is necessary.
Definitely get a second or third opinion. Maybe get a consult at Mayo, if you haven’t already.
I don’t know how the AFIB figures in, it may complicate things. I have been told by doctors that a faulty valve can cause arrhythmias.
Best wishes to you.

There are two Mini Maze https://www.rwjbh.org/treatment-care/heart-and-vascular-care/tests-procedures/mini-maze-procedure/#:~:text=The%20Mini%2DMaze%20is%20a,%2Dheart%20surgery)%20is%20preferred. for the afib and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiHSjwTqkMU for the mitral valve. I would get second and third opinions. While avoiding open heart is a good option for many, there may be other factors making open heart the best option.

Thanks so much!
God Bless,
Retha

I had minimally invasive surgery also for a mitral valve repair. And yes, a leaky valve can cause arrythmias - that is why I had mine repaired.

I had a history of A-fib that had been corrected with cryoablation about two years before my mitral valve repair. When my A-fib cropped up again, my cardiologists pointed to my increasing valve leakage as the culprit. I had some A-fib post surgery, which was not unexpected and was on Amiodarone for 3 months, which controlled that. I'm coming up on a year since my mitral valve repair with only one short episode of A-fib in the past 10 months.

Good morning Rethajones,
It may be possible that the cardiologist is suggesting open heart surgery so both issues can be addressed at the same time, for the following reason.
If for instance, the mitral valve is replaced non-invasively, there is normally a six month period before any surgery is considered due to the blood thinners. For the ablation (or any surgery), your husband will need to stop the blood thinners days ahead of surgery and the cardiologists/surgeons likely wants the body to become accepting of the new valve and doesn't want to risk any clotting issues.
Or vice versa if the cardiac ablation was performed first.

Oh wow. Open heart means they have to crack open the rib cage…then staple it back. My Dad never recovered from such a procedure when he had bypass done at age 71. He lived to 92…but, he never again walked with ease, always needed a walker. Never seemed to recover from the pain.

Both the conditions you mentioned can be handled in a more none invasive manner…..why crack him open? How primitive

Glad that helped you; I wish mine could have been repaired as this is preferable. They tried to repair it, but it was a no- go.
I needed surgery after my papillary muscle ruptured, rendering one leaflet what they call a flail.
The factors leading up to this were several, but the one I’ll emphasize here is grief. It really can break your heart. I had recently lost my mother with whom I was very close. Yes, I had mitral valve prolapse/regurg in my dna, but I was stable. I pushed myself in the gym when I knew I was sick because it was my way of dealing with emotional pain.
Not smart. I also had taken a lot of cipro a few months before for appendicitis (also grief related I think). Tendon damage(think mitral chordae rupture)can be a side effect of cipro. So it was a perfect storm, but the big factor is grief.
So, everyone, if you have a major loss in your life, please talk to someone and address it better than I did.

So sorry for your loss! I lost my mom 4 years ago. It’s very hard losing a parent. Praying that things will get easier for you!!
God Bless,
Retha

Thank you; they have.
Sorry about your loss as well. I think the loss of a mom is especially hard.
Please take care of yourself.
Phoenix

Are you doing EVERYTHING you can do naturally to at least eliminate afib? Do you consume anything with caffeine??? Coffees, tea, chocolate, energy drinks, colas? Do you drink water throughout the day? Those two actions eliminated my afib.