Uploading videos about my recovery from Aortic Valve Replacement.
In February 2020, I underwent my second Open Heart Surgery to replace my insufficient Aortic Valve with a St Jude Mechanical valve. The procedure was done at the outstanding Royal Brompton hospital in London.
Pre-op I found comfort and a vast amount of information in other peoples videos, so I decided to document my recovery, with the hope that it can help at least 1 person
Hi Simon,my fiance is not wakin up 40 hours already after operation. She is 34 years old. I am so scared,usually people are wakin up after several hours
I'm 39 years old with bicuspid aortic valve with moderate to severe regurgitation and ascending aortic aneurysm 4.9c. I'm having surgery on the first week of October. Scared, depressed. There may be a coice of repair, I don't know if i want it, it seems unreliable and none guarantees or knows the longevity of it (corcym haart 200). Mechanical corcym bicarbon that surgeon says needs less warfarin.
You're my hero man! I hope you're still doing ok. I'm going in to get an AVR and mitral valve repair in a couple months. I'm just over 40 and debating the options for valves and have a lot of concerns. You're videos have helped so much! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience!
Thanks for sharing. Been watching a lot of these type of videos as I've just had an AVR and a Bentall procedure for an aneurysm, 7 weeks into recovery.
Bro my dr said i will never be able to workout like lifting weights etc i got mehanical valve but my diagnose is heart aortic aneuerysm i wonder what is your problem with hart and if we got the same thing because im 20 years old and i want to workout but i cant because my doc said i can lift max 4-5 kg and cant go on with heavy weights and hard trainings
Simon, thanks for this great video. I'm 9 months in from my AVR surgery and feeling great. I'm a cyclist and back at 30-50 mile ride near where I was prior to the surgery. I'm curious, as a runner, do you find that your HR is higher during running than before your surgery? I'm finding that I'm obsessed with where my HR is on certain segments, e.g. like a local climb or sprint segment. It seems that my HR is higher for longer where it used to be lower. So if it's a sprint segment, my HR is at 155-160+, and it used to be 128-132 pre-surgery. I can maintain it at 155-160+ no problem and it recovers fairly fast. Just wondering if it's normal for the HR to running so high?
Sounds very similar to what other people have said about waking up in icu. Intense thirst. I had not heard of the vomiting. The breathing tube removal is uncomfortable. They get you out of bed as fast as possible.
Thanks for the videos they are a great help to me. I am having AVR in the next few weeks and I feel more confident about it all after watching your videos x
Thanks for the info! I'm 55 y/o and am deciding on going with a TAVR instead of artificial valve. I'm hoping for quick recovery and if it gets me 15 years of quality life, I'm good with it. Hopefully they have better techniques at a later date if another procedure is needed.
Hello Simon - I have a decision to make between arificial valve with open heart surgery or TAVR. I'm 55 years old definitely leaning toward TAVR as it is much less invasive. Any thoughts?
Thank you Simon for all your tips and honesty around the valve replacement. I’m 2.5 weeks after my valve replacement I opted for a mechanical one as I’m 63 and I had a bypass of an artery in my chest also . . I’m doing so well and everyone is pleased with my progress. The warfarin is fine and they feel it will settle well eventually. . ur videos helped me prepare so well and took the mystery and fear out of the whole procedure. I’ve just had my walk and am resting now listening to you . Once again thank you and I wish you continued good health .
Thank you ever so much h for your kind comments. And pleased to hear that you're recovering well. Any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. All the best.
Thank you so much for all these detailed information and how you feel after the surgery. I'm going to have AVR next month. Please update your channel which inspires me a lot.
Hi Simon, My husband was born with a bi-cupsid aortic valve and at the age of 35 years will need his 3rd open heart surgery to replace a previous tissue valve that has become severely stenotic after 10 years. We are highly encouraged to go mechanical and was wondering what others have dealt with being on Warfarin. I just want my husband to have the best long term prognosis and tissue valves don't last. He is very depressed and living with this really takes a mental toll.
Hi, I've filmed a lot of content about being on warfarin on my channel, including my latest update video that gives you an idea of the 3.5 years since. For me, I've seen no real changes to lifestyle, I go to the gym, I play non-contact sports, I travel both leisure and through work. I home test my INR which is soo much more convenient than going to a clinic. I eat what I want, but try to be consistent with the families of foods, etc. If you or your husband has any questions, please feel free to ask them on here, or via my Instagram
I had this done three weeks ago cause a cold which turned to chest infection on day nine with chest infection along with recovery from heart surgery so making coughing a hell off a lot worse thanks to a support worker also have copd and brittle asthma so recovery just seems hell right now on day 26 and nine days chest infection but pushing threw with walking and making sure I cough even thou it hurts so much more now than when I had the operation
Thanks for the update Simon, I really appreciate them...I'm about 3-years in the same op and same mechanical valve as yourself. Pretty much echo your experiences and am just enjoying the new lease of life. Great to see you are on top of things, take care of yourself and I look forward to hearing about your continued journey. If ya can still hear it tick ya still here!
Glad to see your still going strong. Recovery from the surgery is different for everyone, but always a long road. BTW DaVinci Resolve video editor has a free version that's very capable.
You look really well and thankyou for sharing. I told my Son today, his surgery this Tuesday in Adelaide Australia. That when he sits up he will feel really yuk and throw up then from there he will feel better and better from there
I am in 2 months post TAVR PROCEEDURE…brisk walking for 7 Km per day..no issues…no breathing problems no fatigue…BP is on higher side but pulse rate 80-85 upon exertion….
Thanks for your videos - really useful! I met my surgeon (also from the Royal Brompton, but at an outreach clinic in Hertfordshire) for the first time yesterday. I’ll (with any luck) be getting a mechanical aortic valve in about 6-8 months to replace my bicuspid valve.
Excellent 😊…good motivation for new TAVR patients…I hv undergone TAVR proceedure on 3/09/23…Alhumdullillah I am feeling good n quite confident now…I am walking 5 Km/day w/0 any exhertion nor fatigue…though my cardiologist is telling me to slow for two months more….
Thanks for the update. Your videos were crucial for me. I just had my aortic valve replaced 10 weeks ago and probably watched your videos at least 3 times. Your videos inspired me to create my own to try to help others too.
thanks for the update, with the prescription charges I'm on another permanent medication where i get a medical exemption from payment. Which made me wonder if warfarin would give that exemption, as you have to have it permanently? Also all other prescriptions are free.
@Aortic-Valve-Replacement you can get the form from the doctors and send it off, doctors don't decide if you are entitled, although they may have a list of approved medication
Hey, thanks for the message, I found that my ability to tolerate exercise seriously declined 3 months pre op, I really didn't do much other than walking and would often be out of breath. But key to keep moving at your own pace
I'm just starting my journey to a valve replacement, I'm having many of the same thoughts, will be watching the rest of your videos, I've only come across US videos so its good to get the perspective from a NHS patient
Back in the day people used to use analogue alarm clocks, and they had a very noisy tick, but it didn't bother most people or keep them awake. I Don't have an artificial heart valve, but I imagine that it would be like having an analogue clock with you everywhere you go.
I had aorta surgery in 2022 and at 1 year routine check up they said I have severe aortic regurgitation and I must do aortic valve replacement. I'm still paralyzed. What to do? Mechanical valve and warfarin are terrifying to me. Not doing anything is a guaranteed death in 1-2 year. I'm 30 and wish I could be positive like you. I just have dark thoughts and fear.
Hi simon. My husband Avr surgery done at 10 days before.. Put mechanical valve. Hearing tick tick sound. Is it normal? Please rply. iam from india , kerala
Hey. My routine focused on some basic movement patterns to get my body moving again. I avoided anything heavy to start with and listened to my body in terms of discomfort, etc. I had no restrictions on avoiding chest specific workouts from the docs, but because of the operation I couldn't go too hard too soon, the discomfort ensured that. I slowly built up the strength again in the chest and started to add weight. My recovery was right at the start of covid, so I was restricted in terms of equipment I had at home. I signed up to a gym about 16 months post op, and have had no restrictions, able to do calisthenics, full body workouts, box fitness etc.
Simon, this was great. I am scheduled to have valve replacement at the end of this month. I don’t know yet whether it’s going to be with a catheter or open chest however, in either case these videos have been great thank you.
I had AVR at the age of 24 (back in 2014). I had a tissue valve implanted in place of my bicuspid aortic valve. My recovery was pretty rushed because the whole world was out there waiting to be explored and I was eager to be a part of it. What can I say? Patience has never been my strong suit. I wanted to finally be able to enjoy life and get the most out of pretty much every activity I was involved in. I couldn't wait to go back to dancing, which I had been doing for 4 years before the surgery. I resumed dance classes at 5 months post-op, which was too early, I would say. I still had pain in my sternum and I couldn’t get in and out of bed with ease. I also hadn’t gained my strength back and my energy levels fluctuated, so I really pushed myself extra hard for this one but I don’t regret it. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't do it differently. Knowing myself, it couldn’t have been any other way. Straight out of the hospital, I was overwhelmed by everything. The little things that you do without thinking like opening a door, using the washroom, plugging in your phone charger, and even getting dressed are now challenging as hell. The clothes feel so heavy on you, they make you feel tired. Not to mention, you can’t get a wink of sleep because there is not a single comfortable position to sleep in. On top of that, you’re constantly out of breath and you struggle to walk for 5 minutes straight without stopping. *In a word, it sucks.* For months, I felt like I had been stabbed with a wooden stake through the middle of my body and it’s not something I enjoy reminiscing about. Unfortunately, tissue valves deteriorate quite fast and I have to have mine replaced in a few weeks from now but I’m reluctant to do so because I don’t like the idea of having a noisy valve. I’m an extremely light sleeper. Each and every noise drives me nuts. I can’t imagine having to listen to this ticking 24/7. I hate the sound watches make and the mechanical valve sounds exactly like a watch. I’m pretty sure I will never get used to that and I don’t know what to do. I’m petrified! Another disadvantage is blood thinners. I don’t feel like committing to a therapy this long. Last time I was on blood thinners, I had to do blood tests weekly and my veins stopped giving blood at some point. I hated it. My results were never in the normal range. I wish science had come up with a treatment that makes your life easier rather than something than ruins your sleep, sanity, health, and your future.
You spoke my heart! The tickling is so disturbing at night😮 Am 1 month post op where my mitral valve was replaced & am still not used to it & also my sternum is taking long to heal
Hi Simon - hope you're well and truly recovered and living life! I'm 12 weeks post op (Mechanical Aortic Valve) and Aortic Root replacement... feeling better day by day... I've invested in the same machine, it's going to be a lifelong 'thing' now - so thought it made sense for when I'm away from test clinic... Just a question, where's the cheapest place you've found for test strips? MEGA BUCKS!!! All the best... M
Hi Mark, glad to hear that your recovery is going well. Are you in the UK? I managed to get mine on prescription through my GP, so it works out a lot cheaper!
@@Aortic-Valve-Replacement Hi Simon. yes in the UK.... GP doesn't appear to be very helpful at present, going to clinic Friday, they say they will sort, shouldn't be a problem! we will see... Fingers crossed - yes, cheaper, muchly!
I’m also one year post op, I had my aortic valve and aorta replaced with a Biobentall Konect aortic valve conduit, a single bypass and an atrial clipping, all in one open-heart surgical procedure, performed at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. I’m feeling great, exercising every day and eating healthy. I have a bit of an audible click, but not too serious, and not taking any blood thinners or any sort of heart medication. Love your recovery stories! Keep up the great work!
