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Showing posts with the label Aortic Valve Stenosis

Survival and the medical decisions we make

  Survival is not just about staying alive and healthy following physical attacks, illness and injuries. It also involves making the right decisions at the right time . I have had three medical conditions that could have been life-threatening , and NONE of those maladies had any symptoms. "Your first symptom may have been to drop dead" --- My thoracic surgeon Several years ago, my doctor picked up a very faint heart murmur and sent me to a cardiologist. The cardio specialist did some tests and determined I had aortic stenosis . My heart's aortic valve was clogged and would continue to get worse. That was the bad news. The good news was that by the time I needed a valve replacement, the operation could be done without cutting my chest open. The new valve would simply be implanted via an artery in the groin area. The procedure, known as TAVR , was done two-and-a-half years ago, up to which time I had ZERO symptoms. Prior to the operation, my thoracic surgeon told me what...