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PFO Closure - Open Heart or Transcatheter

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Heart & Cardiovascular Disease
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Posted 3/3/2008 6:21 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Patched London eh? you must go to madam Tussauds (ok spelling bad!) Tower of London, The one and only Palace. Such a large city. We have just come back from a weekend staying in log cabins in Sherwood forest, actually went to the tree where Robin Hood met his band of merry men, think they were merry men because they was always drunk (just kidding) England still intrigues me with its history, Lincoln is a beautiful place too the castle and the cathedral........... ah i could go on. I hope it turns out to be everything that you imagined. To be honest i have only been to London once years ago. Hows the treadmill going? 30 mins is really good, just think 2 months ago that would have been a dream

 

Mamanuss, hows it going? Well as you know i still haven't had the closure done but i have a feeling it will be soon.

 

Good to know that we are all helping each other on this site      

Posted 3/3/2008 6:44 PM (GMT 0)

Hello, everyone!

I just returned from the hospital and wanted to notify you first.  My TEE was done at 9:00 am and my hole is sealed!!!

I am so relieved.  My poor husband said I woke up 4 time and asked if the hole was sealed, he would reply "yes" and I would start crying and then fall back to sleep.  He had to leave me with the nurse after the fourth time.  He said he couldn't see me go through that any more.  I did it to the nurse 3 more times and finally woke up.  He said it was like "50 First Dates".

I am going to bed.  I just wanted to say thank you to all of you for your support.

Patched

Posted 3/3/2008 7:37 PM (GMT 0)
dingby,
a TEE is a transesophageal echocardiogram. It's a better method of looking at the heart than thru a standard echo. They sedate you, and pass a tube with sensors down your throat to your esophagus, so they can view your heart without having the bones, etc. in the way. it's not a bad test, you won't even remember it. you may have a slight sore throat / esophagus afterwards. I did. i couldn't eat for about a day after w/o a serious burning almost like what I would imagine horrific heartburn feels like.
Posted 3/3/2008 10:07 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you cabikerun, i had that done before i had the angiogram and the mri. Didn't know it was called a tee tho'.

Nice 1 Patched Now you can go to London!
Posted 3/3/2008 10:12 PM (GMT 0)
yeah
I can't wait to go to London. It is the strangest feeling knowing that the hole is actually closed. The relief is enormous. I am actually a well person with a normal heart. Yes, it has a little device inside but it is whole!

I wish everyone the best. I will continue to check in and see how everyone is doing.

Patched
Posted 3/4/2008 5:40 PM (GMT 0)
Cabikerun,

On 2/29 you wrote:

I too am following the surgical route to close the hole. We know I have a very patent foramen ovale that swings wildly with high degrees of right to left shunting. I've had 2 small TIA's (I'm 41). runner and cyclist in otherwise good health. I may also have an ASD too. I did a lot of research, talked to various doctors and have decided I don't like how the devices have been introduced, how the manufacturers are now protected against lawsuits, nor do i like the idea of a metal/polyester device inside my heart.

Could you please give us a few more details on the protections from lawsuits against the manufacturers? What is that about?

Also, what is it you don't like about how the devices have been introduced? I share with you the concern about placement of a metal/polyester device inside the heart...so what will they use to close it in the open heart procedure?

Please share for the benefit of others. Thanks.
Posted 3/5/2008 5:43 PM (GMT 0)
In open-heart surgery they will either use a patch from the tissue surrounding your heart( pericardium), or, if the hole is eliptical shaped ( as mine was) they just flatten it and sew it shut. No plastic or polyester. Just titanium chest wires. I am pretty sure that the results of effectiveness/risks have been the same for the device and open heart repair, but for me, I didn't want something foreign in my heart. Personal choice. Both are extremely safe.
Posted 3/7/2008 11:03 PM (GMT 0)
Blimey................. every time i think about options, i don't want them. If Patched or Mamanuss heard or knew about all this stuff i think they would feel scared. Am i right?

I have gone from knowing i need closure to thinking i don't need it then back to reality i need it, but to be honest talking on this site has helped me so much, Patched, Mamanuss you both have played such a signifiicant part in helping me with this.

I thought maybe i should share this report from my consultant:

 75 in sinus rhythm. blood pressure 120/70 fixed splitting of the second heart sound but no other anormality ECG confirmed sinus rhythm with occasional atrial ectopics, axis 70, PR interval 0.16 seconds. There was mild intra ventricular conduction defect. Enchocardiography showed a normal left heart with a dilated right heart and a large secundum type atrial septal defect.

This was the conclusion of all the differant scans i had............. as what is written i need to have closure?

I haven't put the end of the conclusion but basically it states for now i am healthy........... so do i need closure now? or can i see how things go?

To be honest i want my life back. I don't want or need this now, i want to carry on getting all i can from life. I want to share my life with my husband, i want to see and watch my son give me grandchildren, i want to ride my horse, and still give all i believe into my work with people with disabilities

oh well who said life would be easy yeah

Posted 3/9/2008 6:43 PM (GMT 0)

Hi everyone, I just wanted to let you all know that I have asked the Admin to lock this thread since it is so long and getting difficult to navigate.  You all can still go back and view your old posts on this thread, you just wont be able to post to it.

I have created a new thread named PFO Closure - open Heart or Transcatheter 2 - this is where you can start to post again.  I am sorry if this causes any confusion for anyone....if you have problems please feel free to message me and I will help you out.

Thank you ~ Elisha

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