How do i feel after replacement of the aortic valve for a mechanical one?

Answer 1

If my Doctor was more honest with me about the after effects of this surgery I would have gone for a third or even fourth opnion. He gauranteed twenty years extra to my life, but I feel older and more useless now than before my Aortic Valve Replacement. I was diagnosed with Aortic Stenosis in February of 2003 (age 34), I had to go for surgery in March 2003. I did not have time to even blink or think about this as the calcification of the heart valve was so severe my doctor wanted to operate the day after he saw the results. Up to that time I did not even feel ill, the only reason I ended up with the cardiologist was due to the heart murmur picked up by my house doctor after a bout of flu. It was a major adjustment and I had to reinvent the wheel around my family and work to fit this op into my schedule. But to get back to the question of how I feel after the op? Well there is alot of things I cannot do now but had no problem doing it before and a silly example if working with hands above my head, e.g. packing cupboards etc. I am out of breath more easily than I was before. I cannot play squash or tennis without feeling like I am going to die. I was very active before the op, but no more. My lifestyle was not that extreme before the op (parties etc) but even less now. I perspire like a running tap permanantly and generally feel up to crap. Going for INR tests every two and having needles stuck in your arm is also not fun anymore. Generally if there is an alternative to replacement especially mechanical then please find out more about it. I feel like an old women and and have just turned 40.