What to do?? Open heart surgery? (LONG)

[longtimer Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close longtimer]

I will keep you in my prayers. May both of you and your doctors make the best decisions for your husband's care.

[catwgirl Contributor - Bronze Find all posts View Profile Close catwgirl]

Jacki,

Good luck to you and DH with whatever decision you make. I am wishing a very successful outcome for you.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

A few weeks ago I finally got DH to go to a cardiologist after complaining of shortness of breath for a month or so. We knew he had a murmur but it hadn't been checked in many years. So the MD has an echocardiogram done, and tells my husband he has an aneurysm in his aorta at the root (by the heart) and that it is very dangerous and he has to see a cardiac surgeon right away. He ordered an MRA test which confirmed that he has a 5cm aortic root aneurysm and a bi-cuspid aortic valve (a birth defect) which is leaking which may be causing the shortness of breath (SOB). A week later we see the surgeon who says that 5 cm is not that big of a deal, that it is not emergent and can just be watched. She also said that the degree of leakage does not appear to be enough to cause the SOB DH is experiencing. She wants him to take a few more tests to see if something else may be going on to cause it. One of the tests is a stress test.
So we go back to the cardiologist yesterday who says "a stress test?? There is NO WAY I'm putting you on a treadmill with that aneurysm. It's too dangerous. He tries to call the surgeon but she's in the OR and can't answer. Then he calls a cardiothoracic surgeon that he knows from a hospital with a good reputation for heart surgery on Long Island. The surgeon agreed to see DH this morning.
Meanwhile, we get home and I call 2 people I know who have experience with this surgery. One told me he had a 5 cm aneurysm for 5 years and they just watched it. When it grew to 5.3 cm, they recommended the surgery. The other friend told me the criteria for repair used to be 6.0 cm, but is now 5.0 cm. Her DH had an undetected aneurysm which ruptured, with a poor outcome. DH is saying Goody I have 5 years before they cut my chest open.
DH went to the surgeon this morning, MD reviews the films and tells him that 5.0 cm is the borderline but because he has the deformed valve, he should have the surgery (valve replacement and aorta repair) because the bicuspid valve makes the aneurysm more dangerous. He told him that he would do a cardiac catheterization before the open heart surgery to see if ther are any other causes for the SOB, instead of a stress test. Now DH is upset because he thought he had 5 years. The MD tells him to get an echocardiogram at 1pm, which he does. The supervisor of the echo staff asked him why he was there. He told her the story and she said "Does he really want to operate on this? Your aneurysm is only 4.7 cm and they usually just watch this. You can come here twice a year and have it checked".
So DH is feeling he is on a roller coaster and of course he does not want to have open heart surgery but he does not want to be a walking time bomb either. I suggested he get even a 3rd opinion and he just sort of growled at me. Plus he has been told he cannot run (he runs 3 to 4 miles/day) or lift anything heavier than 10 lbs while he has the aneurysm. This will change his life and he doesn't know if that is worth it either.
Any information anyone has on this topic would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I've spent more time thinking about this than I should but, I end up with patients of my own that get confliciting opinions. In the end, it's up to whatever your husband feels he can live with easiet. It appears he has two choices.

1. Live with the fact he has the aneurysm and, despite the best medical opinions, it could rupture putting him into an emergancy situation that doesn't often have great outcomes. Depending on who he listens to he will apparently have to live with limitations that will almost make him a cardiac cripple, unable to do the things he loves.

2. Have the surgery, which in and of itself is a scary thing. There will be a time of recovery but once recovered, should everything go just fine, he'll be able to resume most, if not all, of his previous activities.

Of course there are significant risks with the surgery but, there appear to be significant risks to not having the surgery. I does seem that, one way or another, he's looking at eventually having the surgery one way or another. If that's the case then the question becomes, does he want to have it when he's at the peak of health or after he's not been able to exercise significantly for a period of years. IOW, now or after he's declined further.

I don't not envy his situation and would not venture to say what I would do should I ever find myself in the same situation. It's to easy to say I'd do this or I'd do that when there's no real risk. Sort of like playing poker with monopoly money. Whatever decision he makes, it needs to be the one that he can live with.

[Kay H Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Kay H]

Jacki,
This must be a terrible position to be in. Good luck to you and your hubby in deciding which advice to follow. Please let us know which direction he goes.

[The Conch Man Past Goumba President & BigFrank's Cigar Buddy! Find all posts View Profile Close The Conch Man]

I had open heart surgery over 13 years ago & I'm still here! Today's technology is far better than it was years ago & it only gets better as time goes-on.

I just pick-up shortness of breath bout 8 months ago & my cardiologists says to do more exercise & watch the diet. Its to bad I don't listen to what he says but he does take care of me every 3 months I see him. I'm 65 now & doing a little better now so do as I say not what I do!

The Doc's these days have seen everything & know everything there is to do for everyone of us out here who has this problem. Listen to them & make sure you understand what they are telling ya & if need be do get a second opinion. My Mom & Dad both had heart problems, Dad died in 1970 at 49 years old & Mom died in 1968 at 68 years old so I'm doing pretty good & your hubby can do the same.

I went into the hospital back in 1996, had the best surgeon in the Mid-West (Ohio) & was done with the operation & let go the 4th day. Its a slow recovery but you do so much every day & soon you start feeling like yourself again. Good luck & ifin you need some more advice please let us know!

[jackio Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close jackio]

Idahodude, Billymach and Doug, I really appreciate the time you invested in this discussion and your help. Thank you so very much.
Thanks to all of you for your good wishes and prayers.
Today is DH's birthday, and he is a little bummed out/bitter over his lot in life right now, but he will be ok. He is coming around and has decided to have the surgery. He will have a cardiac catheterization next week sometime and then the surgery will be scheduled after that. After his initial shock that this could be happening to him (after all, he feels ok and since he is not running, does not experience any SOB) he is coming to terms with what needs to be done.
I'll keep you all posted, and again, I thank you all so very much.

[idahodude Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close idahodude]

My pleasure. I wish you the best of luck with this. It's a tough situation in which to find yourself. Keep an eye on your husband's mood too. There's good evidence that heart disease (and heart surgery) can cause clinical depression. Right now, I'm sure he's just grieving, but don't let it turn into something more severe than that.

Again, good luck, and know there are many here who will be wishing you the best!

[hope54 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hope54]

Jackie, I am glad he is choosing the surgery. Please keep us posted as to when it will be so we can be praying - or whatever someone does when a person needs support!

Marilyn

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Idahodude, Billymach and Doug, I really appreciate the time you invested in this discussion and your help. Thank you so very much.
Thanks to all of you for your good wishes and prayers.
Today is DH's birthday, and he is a little bummed out/bitter over his lot in life right now, but he will be ok. He is coming around and has decided to have the surgery. He will have a cardiac catheterization next week sometime and then the surgery will be scheduled after that. After his initial shock that this could be happening to him (after all, he feels ok and since he is not running, does not experience any SOB) he is coming to terms with what needs to be done.
I'll keep you all posted, and again, I thank you all so very much.

Belated birthday wishes to him. He has made the right choice. It is not an easy decision but better to schedule something like this then to be caught offguard somewhere and get assigned who ever is on duty because of an emergency situation.

My thoughts are with you and please do keep us posted.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Jackie,

A belated to Happy Birthday to your DH!!

Good luck with the surgery. I think he made the correct choice. I will keep you guys in my thoughts, and prayers.

Please keep us posted on his progress.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

I am glad he's come around. I think Lawren's point is right on in terms of being in control of who takes care of him, in addition to the other considerations.

He shares a birthday with someone very near and dear to me, btw. I hope he was able to enjoy it.

[billymach4 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close billymach4]

Idahodude, Billymach and Doug, I really appreciate the time you invested in this discussion and your help. Thank you so very much.
Thanks to all of you for your good wishes and prayers.
Today is DH's birthday, and he is a little bummed out/bitter over his lot in life right now, but he will be ok. He is coming around and has decided to have the surgery. He will have a cardiac catheterization next week sometime and then the surgery will be scheduled after that. After his initial shock that this could be happening to him (after all, he feels ok and since he is not running, does not experience any SOB) he is coming to terms with what needs to be done.
I'll keep you all posted, and again, I thank you all so very much.

Jackio,

No problem at all. You and your husband made the right decision. Feel free to PM me if you have any Dr. questions at LIJ - NS. We even know people that work at St. Francis.


Bill

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

Jackie.
Good decision on hubby's part. I'm a nurse and I've seen these things rupture. I'm sure you probably have too. You don't want to go thru that when it's fixable. That way you can have 30 more years of timesharing ahead of you to look forward to. God bless him and his surgeon as he goes thru this.