Experiences With Surgery For Aortic Stenosis

Discussion in 'General Discussions' started by SuiDhaaga, Mar 25, 2022.

  1. SuiDhaaga

    SuiDhaaga IL Hall of Fame

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    Uncle always had heart problems, i.e. heart murmur

    For past month, BP was increasing even though there were no changes in strict diet and exericise regime

    Now Cardiologist says he needs TAVR to fix aortic stenosis else he has risk of death, heart attack, stroke

    WTF?

    He needs CT Scan and Angiogram before this TAVR procedure.

    Just want to make sure we dot the i and cross the t

    So many mistakes can happen in USA healthcare system


    Plz share experiences. Really scary!
     
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  2. MalStrom

    MalStrom IL Hall of Fame

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    You can get a second opinion about the procedure. It’s always a good idea for major medical decisions.
     
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  3. SuiDhaaga

    SuiDhaaga IL Hall of Fame

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    That’s a good idea

    Seems he is being rushed into this procedure

    on one hand, sever artery stenosis can cause stroke

    on another hand, this TAVR procedure can cause stroke if blood is not thinned enough (I saw video on YouTube where Doctors were performing this)
     
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  4. 1Sandhya

    1Sandhya Platinum IL'ite

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    Hi,

    I don't know what part of USA you are in but this is plainly untrue. USA healthcare is expensive yes, but they have perfected the technique of doing all the really complicated procedures safely. There's a huge population of elders in our country who are living well into their 90's and who undergo these procedures safely every day.

    Aortic stenosis is a serious diagnosis. I advise you not to delay his treatment because of something you read on the internet. No experience with TAVR, but my father underwent a pacemaker operation in his late 70's without incident. It was very quick, almost an out patient operation. He just stayed for one or two nights for observation I think. And based on your other posts I think your uncle is on Medicare so expense can't be an issue for him.

    I don't know where you are getting all this info that the doctors here like to do operations for money or force unnecessary operations on innocent patients. It's just not true. In my experience and in my family's experience, we have found that the doctors here are very alert and good at spotting issues before they become a 'this is very serious' 'must operate right now because it's an emergency' type of a deal.
     
  5. SuiDhaaga

    SuiDhaaga IL Hall of Fame

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    Time is of the essence. My Uncle wants to get certain things in order in case he gets stroke and becomes incapacitated (a major risk of this procedure ----- 1% chance is too high)

    As for Doctors itching for surgery for money --- well that is a person's fear and sadness speaking.

    There are YouTUBE videos from USA Doctors in Medical Conferences who discuss how to minimize risk of stroke, etc in patients after getting TAVR.

    And Doctors acknowledge biggest fear is stroke.

    This is scary stuff.

    We are trying to coax my Uncle to have surgery soon, and he wants to get certain things in order.

    When I was telling this to a co-worker (late 60s, had BP 200/100 was told to go to ER where they put stent in LAD of heart about 6 months ago), he said we should respect my Uncle's wishes and not scare him.


    We will present all the info on TAVR, the questions we want to ask Dr, what are the expectations, etc. Hope that will get him to calm down.
     
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  6. SuiDhaaga

    SuiDhaaga IL Hall of Fame

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    Right now I a, reading user experiences in this page

    TAVR - FAQ's Answered by a Cardiologist - myheart.net

    people don’t know how devastating the side effects can be

    TAVR is a relatively new procedure.

    When something goes wrong, Dr says, oh the technology keeps improving

    How do you tell that to someone who got strike, was on life support and died. And of course Hospital will cover up
     
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  7. 1Sandhya

    1Sandhya Platinum IL'ite

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    It’s not that easy to cover up. I understand it’s your fear talking. But to tell the truth the docs have everything to lose and nothing to gain by making a mistake. This is a very litigious society. That fear is always in them.
    Research which are the TAVR specialty surgeons cardiologists and hospitals in your area. Get a second opinion. Most important is don’t stall the process keep it moving forward. You have nothing to gain by delaying.
     
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  8. 1Sandhya

    1Sandhya Platinum IL'ite

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    I understand. This diagnosis coming out of the blue must be overwhelming and scary. But one thing I can say with certainty is that sometimes docs here go overboard with all the percentages of success etc etc. Sometimes I feel they give too much info which causes anxiety. But in reality when the operation happens it goes smoothly. So theses are just things to be aware of not to be frightened of. Unlike in India where they don’t tell you anything and then after the op goes wrong they say yeah this happens that happens. Personally I prefer US way though mentally it causes lot more anxiety. Just telling from personal experience with loved ones undergoing critical operations.
    Look both are important, so try to convince him to proceed on both tracks in parallel. He is not going get the operation tomorrow even if he agrees. There will be tests and checks and scheduling so keep the ball rolling. Many times the specialist says one thing then after the test results come back propose a different less invasive procedure. But getting appointments in a timely manner is tough. So keep the ball rolling.

    is there an aunt in the picture or any other older person your uncle listens to who you can rope in to convince him?

    I don’t see much use in presenting uncle with the data. This will just delay more. He should leave it to specialist. He really doesn’t have a choice. if his heart is in a bad condition he should get the problem fixed. The other affairs which he wants to put in order - there are ways to expedite those by paying brokers or asking people to do it for him. If the other issues are health problems then maybe they will get fixed by the operation. So really delay is not in your favor. Try to convince him to go for the testing asap.
     
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  9. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    Indeed! Hasten up and I am sure you are finished with second opinion which is identical with the first opinion.
    God bless.
     
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  10. SuiDhaaga

    SuiDhaaga IL Hall of Fame

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    You bring very good point that at least Doctors in USA will tell you up front but Doctors in India won’t tell you any risks. At most they will say “sorry”.

    So far all the horror stores I read about comes from USA (I can’t imagine the torture people are being put through by Doctors in India)

    At least the USA Doctors (at least in Medical Conference videos) talk about minimizing stroke, or re-evaluate whether patient will benefit from TAVR.

    Of course all this info at once causes anxiety.

    Aunt is limited by how she can help. other elders themselves have their set of problems, sicknesses, they can only give words.

    Your post has more intelligence and practical advice than their hours and hours of words.

    Uncle refuses to talk about heart till I clearly explain what he can expect.
    This had taken up a good week just seeing medical conferences.

    At this point he is more interested in getting his things in order in case something goes wrong. It is not easy to find reliable and trustworthy attorneys (is that what you meant by broker)

    I am unsure how USA Doctors define success.

    Doctors say the TAVR valve will last 15 years.

    Patient can have TAVR and after 2 years the tissue would have worn out and they either need an open heart surgery to remove the old valve and replace with a new one (I saw video of Atlanta Georgia based Dr perform this procedure) or a TAVR inside the TAVR ( because they are high risk for open heart)


    I spoke with a patient who claims he underwent TAVR 8 years ago. He was not scared of any risk. He said there is risk of stroke in even putting stent to fix artery blockage.

    Then again he can not control his cravings for American fast food, burgers, fries, pizza, etc. He says he had many bypass surgeries prior, starting when he was 40 years old. On the phone he was coughing and coughing (said it was a cold)


    I just want to do due diligence. We do not want to hear any Doctor say “sorry”
     

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