Home | Health | Surgery

Recovery after open heart surgery is really fast. Learn why

By: Giovanni B.Ciuffo, MD

Read More About surgery

Mitral Valve Regurgitation is a condition that can be described as a floppy and loose heart valve leaflet that can cause a severe leakage of the mitral valve. Our clinical data show that 17% of women between the ages of 25 and 40 are affected by this pathology. That means one woman out of six! Once the diagnosis is known it is important to repeat an echocardiogram at regular intervals to make sure that there is not a severe degree of mitral valve leakage and antibiotics are recommended prior to dental or other medical interventions that can cause release of bacteria in the blood stream.

This is advised to prevent a dangerous infection of the valve known as Endocarditis. When the leakage is severe the majority of patients notice worsening{dyspnea| shortness of breath}, palpitations, low energy levels, anxiety, panic attacks and after a while leg swelling and water in the lungs. Here is an important statement: this problem must be corrected surgically before it causes irreversible damage to the heart. The idea of surgery always brings many questions and fears about what to expect. I'll answer the most common questions and concerns I hear from my patients.

How risky is it? In expert hands a mitral valve repair operation carries a risk of less than 1%
How often can the mitral valve be repaired rather than replaced with a prosthetic valve? An expert mitral valve surgeon can repair a mitral valve prolapse in over 95% of the cases.
How long is the scar? A minimally invasive heart surgeon can carry out the operation through a 2" long incision. This small scar is completely out of sight in the skin fold underneath the right breast and looks pretty much like a plastic surgery scar. It will be invisible no matter what you wear!
How long is the recovery? Most patients are out of bed and walking in less than 24 hours and are discharged home in 48 hours. I normally recommend at least about ten days of rest before resuming full physical and work activity.
Can surgery be avoided? No! It is a mechanical problem and it requires a very precise surgical tailoring to give our patients a reliable and permanent solution to their disease.
Is it safe to wait? Every case is different and should be discussed with an expert mitral valve surgeon. If you have a severeleakage with symptoms it is better to get an early mitral valve repair.
What if I don't get the surgery? The heart will progressively and irreversibly enlarge and your symptoms will increase in severity with the onset of congestive heart failure, lung congestion, big swollen legs and profound dyspnea and weakness. Your heart rhythm will often become irregular (atrial fibrillation) and require coumadin, a blood thinnerblood thinners to help prevent strokes. In other words, it is not a good idea: you won't survive as long OR as well as a someone in the same situation who had a successful mitral valve repair. If you are experiencing these symptoms or you have been told that you have mitral valve disease start looking for a good Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery Center to discuss your best options to regain your life style and life expectancy. If there are no experts in this type of repairs in your region, it is certainly worth a trip out of town to have these better choices available. It's your heart, it's your body, it's your life!

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Visit us for more information and lots of surgical pictures about Dr. Ciuffo's revolutionary Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery techniques. Dr. Giovanni B. Ciuffo is a "superspecialist" in Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Repairs, Aortic Valve Replacements and Coronary Bypass Surgery. He currently runs a busy Cardiothoracic Surgery practice at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, where he cares for numerous patients coming from the Tri-State Area and the rest of the country. He is a faculty member of the Mount Sinai School of medicine in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and is often invited to lecture on his minimally invasive cardiac surgery techniques.

Please Rate this Article

 

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive surgery Articles Via RSS!
Additional Articles From - Home | Health | Surgery
Sign Up for a free account.
Our other websites
All about SEO
Beauty Tips Forum
Submit Articles
Member Login
Link Us
Submission Guidelines
Ezine Notifications
Article RSS Feeds
Sitemap
New Stuff
About Us
Developer
Good shopping portal
Link to Us
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service

counter easy hit

Powered by Article Dashboard