pfo closure

Hello, my name is Rob. I had the PFO closure done 5-4-11 at Oklahoma Heart Hospital in OKC. I felt great first couple weeks after except for 2 migraines. First one was bad! Exactly one week after surgery. Really got me depressed. The second was not as bad. After two weeks I started walking around block. Noticed I was weak, shaky and dizzy. I didnt think much about it I just thought I was just out of shape. Well went back to work three weeks after surgery. Wound up in ER with high pulse rate, sweating, dizzy, weak and felt a cramping in chest. I work at Mercy hospital so they took me right in. Ran alot of tests and said I had low blood plasma due to dehydration. My pulse was going from 60s laying down to 120s standing. Went back to work next couple days with no problems (didnt do much). Went fishing saturday and had another episode. Same symptoms as before. The guys I was with said I was as white as a sheet. My pulse rate was 135 while sitting in boat. Couldnt make it back to truck before having to vomit! My surgen has me wearing a chest monitor for next couple weeks to try to find out what is goin on. Thinks I may have developed an arrythmia from surgery? My pulse rate was over 130 on the drive in this morning. It has my family really scared. Im sure they will figure it out but I was just wondering if anyone else has had these problems? Im 45yo male that was running 6 miles a week and working out 6 days a week(migraines permitting)before the surgery. Now I cant fold laundry without my heart rate going over 120 and having to sit down. Very frustrating! Thanks Rob

ps Love this site. If not for this site I dont think I would have had the surgery!!

Post Edited (robb) : 6/8/2011 8:33:24 AM (GMT-6)

Thanks for the prayers Kitt! The only meds I am taking right now is plavix and an asprin. I was taking inderal la before surgery for migraines but surgen took me off.

Now for those of you about to have PFO closure. The procedure was a piece of cake. I had mine done at 9am and was back home by 6pm. I was put all the way out for mine. When they ran a camera up there a few weeks before I was awake for the whole thing. This time I was positioning my head just right so I could watch the monitor. The next thing I know I woke up in my hospital room with my beautiful wife standing over me. I had to lay still for about 5 hours or so. Then had to walk around ward. I felt great. They let me leave around 5pm. The 50 mile drive home made me a little sick to my stomach. I could feel the patch like the "chicken bone" I read about. The next couple days were spent watching a stash of John Wayne westerns my wife bought me   I felt great and could not wait to start working out again. I had bad migraine exactly one week after surgery. I was devistated! I couldn't believe I got another one. Went back to Dr. for one week eval. Dr. told me not to get discouraged! That it may take as much as 6 months before the skin of the heart heals around the patch. That there was still a chance for little clots to get through. This made me feel so much better!! I had another migraine at about two weeks after surgery but this time it was all the symtoms but with little to no pain. It has now been five weeks. I am having some issues with my heart rate. Having to wear monitor. But no more migraines yet!!! My Dr. told me I could not do any heavy lifting for 4 to 6 weeks. If I had to do it all over again I would in a rapid heart beat   Dont be scared! Just listen to your Dr. and do what he recommends! BYE BYE migraines forever! Good luck to all. If you have any questions about procedure just ask, Ill be happy to help.

Post Edited (robb) : 6/8/2011 10:10:19 AM (GMT-6)

Well I had an interesting weekend. I got a call from monitoring company saying they picked up on something not right. They are not supposed to tell me what happened just that the monitor picked up something. Had to wait for the on call Dr. to call (2 hours) and he informed me that my heart stopped for 3 seconds at 3:30! I remember getting real dizzy right at that time followed by a sharp "pinching" feeling and a thump. I layed down for a bit but felt fine afterward. I did not push the button on monitor because it wasnt as bad as previous episodes. Spent the night in ER of Heart hospital. They wanted to put in pacemaker! I decided to wait for second stoppage. He called it sick sinus syndrome and assured me it was not from my pfo closure... I will continue wearing monitor. They took me off warfrin in case I need pacemaker put in without waiting. Anyway Im just waiting for heart to stop again. Every time phone rings my heart stops a little   I just cant believe I might have pacemaker for rest of life after just one episode. Does this sound right? I also cant believe this has nothing to do with PFO closure. I have never had dizzy spells or felt this way until two weeks after PFO closure. I have always been active playing football, baseball through HS, drove racecar for years, riding dirtbikes, coaching baseball in 100 degree weather, jiu-jitsu. All migraines permitting ofcourse.

 

Any advise on sick sinus syndrome w/a-fib? Thanks Rob

Hi!
On 09/01/2009 I had a TIA. I luckily have a wonderful doctor that would not take no for an answer and she ran test after test. I was finally scheduled for an echo at the local hospital. This test was not until 10/16/2009. In the echo that found that I had a myxoma which is a growth inside your heart. Mine was made up of blood vessels and was dangling from the left ventricle. They did emergency open heart the next day since they were pretty sure it was throwing off clots and causing my TIA. I was just 31 and the time and very much in shock. Well of course I was glad it was found and very much glad it was over with. Now two weeks ago, I had another TIA. Neither one of mine has been major mostly just loss of vision in one eye for a limited amount of time. I was scheduled for a TEE this past week and much to my surprise they found a PFO. My first thought is I cant believe I am dealing with something like this again. I do feel very lucky because after my open heart I did get pregnant and have a very healthy and happy ten month old baby girl. Knowing what I know now, I am very lucky not to have had complications during pregnancy or child birth. I am waiting on my appt with the cardiovascular surgeon. I feel pretty sure at this point they will want to do the surgery. I am pretty scared about it but I guess in the end I am more scared of having a stroke. I will say in the back of your mind I always wonder if it really happened. Maybe I just imagined it and really I am just fine. Maybe I should not go through with the procedure. Of course I then wake up and realize I have to be here for my kids. I am a city carrier for the local post office and so my doctor has pulled me out of work for now since she does not want me out in the heat at all. Are any people put completely to sleep for the procedure? I really dont feel like I would want to be awake for this. How long is recovery? I was out of work for 13 weeks with my open heart so i am assuming it will not be near that long. Thanks for any advice and comments you can give me.

Hello, everybody.....I am 58, and in Scottsdale, Arizona. For a few years I've been experiencing increasing shortness of breath on exertion. Even talking makes me gasp for air. Going to higher altitudes gives me headaches and my lips turn cyanotic. I have oxygen now at my bedside, and in my car. I developed a chronic cough to the point of choking in 1997, and was diagnosed with Asthma. I've been through every diagnostic test with my cardiologist and pulmonologist, even a neurologist. Everything is normal. My life became just visits to medical appointments. Otherwise, I stayed home and only had a window of 5-6 hours before I had to go back to bed. I prepared to die soon, as it was getting worse. Life was not interesting or fun anymore. I've been on social Security Disability over 20 years now, for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (but now I'm wondering if that is just not a diagnosis slapped on symptoms when they cannot find the cause.)As a last ditch effort, I went to the Mayo Clinic because I wanted the very best doctors to take one last look and my insurance covered it. The Arizona branch is 15 minutes from me. The cardiologist sent me for test after test until they finally, after a TEE, found the PFO. I don't know the size as every time I ask, the doctor says it doesn't matter. I think he's trying not to scare me. I was in the pre-op room, IV in, husband took off work, to have the closure, when they canceled it because I had a 99 degree fever and white cells left over from a UTI (urinary tract infection) I was sooo mad, but understand the reasoning. I am not worried about the procedure. I won't like lying flat for 6 hours. But I am very upset after hearing all the side effects of Plavix. I can't understand that following a study that showed being on a higher dose of aspirin does the same job, it is still prescribed. I'm going to do my best to talk my way off of it. By the way, I never had a headache, and never had a tia or stroke. Just numbingly tired, short of breath, and coughing and choking. Last week, without any pain, dizziness or any warning, my legs just gave out and I sat down on the floor. I have not told my doctor about this, but after reading, wonder if it wasn't a small tia? My surgeon is on vacation this week and it is tenatively scheduled for the 29th of July. I had to take another urine culture and will find out tomorrow from his nurse, if I'm clear. I am so grateful for this site and hearing everyone's story. I think when we know what to expect and what we will deal with, we find a way to work through it. Not knowing is worse than anything. Please keep talking of your experiences, and I'll keep updating mine.

flo,

I understand your fear of facing surgery so please know we are here praying for a great outcome for you.  It will depend on how you do post op and your physician's orders how soon you can return to work.

Let us here how you are doing.

Gentle Hugs,

Kitt