Hi all, I had slight dilation of the aordic valve for about 15 years prior. Developed into an aneurism 12/10/2014 when my chest was split open and 7 hour operation followed. Surgeon said he did a great job with the repair. I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this? If so can you tell me about how long it took to get back to each triathlon discipline and if you felt comfortable red lining your heart with the patch job to your aorta? Thanks for your input!
shit, good luck. i just found out yesterday that my father has a 5.8 cm aa. getting cracked next month. i hope it goes as well as yours went.
Hi all, I had slight dilation of the aordic valve for about 15 years prior. Developed into an aneurism 12/10/2014 when my chest was split open and 7 hour operation followed. Surgeon said he did a great job with the repair. I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this? If so can you tell me about how long it took to get back to each triathlon discipline and if you felt comfortable red lining your heart with the patch job to your aorta? Thanks for your input!
What is your doc’s opinion?* (Repair stronger/better than original parts? ;-)*
I had my aortic valve replaced 14 years ago. Although I was back at the gym about six weeks post-op, it took me about 9-12 months to feel 100% again, mostly due the trauma of the surgery itself rather than any cardiac issues. I figure that the fact that I’m still active and doing tri’s puts me in the top 1% of heart valve patients. I feel very lucky to be where I am.
I have a friend who suffered an aorta dissection a couple of months ago. The debris from his rupture resulted in circulation issues with his extremities and the loss of his toes and other leg tissue that had died from interrupted blood flow. Worse was a series of small strokes that he’s suffered. He’s in a rehab facility now with a long road ahead of him.
My best advice would be to talk to your cardiologist and surgeon and listen to their advice. Pretty serious stuff. Nothing you want to mess around with.
Wish you well.
Mark
Good job on having a positive attitude following what can be a very big operation. I would suspect that each responders results vary from the relatively rapid to quite prolonged depending on a host of pre operative, intra operative and post operative factors that would be specific to the athlete. The course that would be most appropriate for you as an individual would come from your operating surgeon and primary care doc who know the details of your disease state in it’s entirety. While we wish you the best, my sense is that rather than have your hopes lifted or smashed by reading what happened to another STer, you’d have the greatest success being yourself. Good luck in returning to this or the sport of your choice. Best of luck in 2015!
John
Best wishes for your full recovery. I am a cardiac athlete as well. I know of a guy in Florida who had a similar repair and other issues as well who returned to competing. Listen to your body, be patient, and be happy for each day you are spending with your family and friends and thankful for the health you generate in your own good time to participate. The perspective will enable you to chuckle at much of the self indulgent obsession.
VTironman, I had a brain aneurysm a few years ago; had an eight-hour surgery to clip the offending artery shut. Obviously it’s a little different than what you went through, but the “fear” part of the recovery is likely very similar. By the time of my surgery, I had stopped focusing on tris because I had moved into long-distance ski mountaineering and mountain bike racing, but I was (eventually) able to overcome the paralyzing fear and get back to the life I loved. Better than before, in fact. I wrote about the entire recovery experience for Forbes here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonynitti/2013/05/09/five-years-after-a-brain-aneurysm-fear-of-dying-cant-make-me-quit-living/
If you want to talk more specifically about the mental parts of the recovery (after you’ve sorted out the physical aspects with you doctor), I’d be happy to help however I can.
Tony
Thanks for sharing your story. Glad to hear that you’re doing well early after operation.
Good advice from Dr. John and the others. Even after operation, patients with aortic conditions may require lifelong monitoring for new problems that may arise. It’s important to have frank discussion with your doctor(s) about the potential risks of exercise and to settle on a thoughtful plan about activities. There are many considerations.
Happy holidays and best wishes for continued recovery.
.
Best of luck to your Dad. Since they will be able to approach him with no rupture having occurred hopefully his will go well. As I read all the replies (and thanks to everyone for taking the time), I see there are many outcomes and this is really a one on one situation that is between you and your surgeon, although it doesn’t hurt to get this other information.
VTironman, I had a brain aneurysm a few years ago; had an eight-hour surgery to clip the offending artery shut. Obviously it’s a little different than what you went through, but the “fear” part of the recovery is likely very similar. By the time of my surgery, I had stopped focusing on tris because I had moved into long-distance ski mountaineering and mountain bike racing, but I was (eventually) able to overcome the paralyzing fear and get back to the life I loved. Better than before, in fact. I wrote about the entire recovery experience for Forbes here: http://www.forbes.com/...make-me-quit-living/
If you want to talk more specifically about the mental parts of the recovery (after you’ve sorted out the physical aspects with you doctor), I’d be happy to help however I can.
Tony
Hey Tony, my sister has a brain aneurysm back in 1991 in her mid 20’s. Made a full recovery, has an active life, got her PhD, three kids and exercises like before. Around the time, another person who had made full recovery was Toronto Blue Jays John Olerud who had flirted with battting ~.400 one season into September…and more recently Alberto Contador who bounced back from the brain aneurysm to win the Tour de France. Also don’t forget that Normann Stadler had the descending aortic aneurysm. My father’s sister also had a brain aneurysm and my grandfather on that side had the descending Aortic Aneurysm, so the entire chain is a mess. I follow this topic fairly closely as a result of all of this and it leaves me limiting my max output, especially since I had a really bad crash at IM Switzerland a few years ago and a fairly large head injury.
hello VT. Fellow Vermonter and aordic dliator here. They found mine (48 mm ascending) a year ago and I am in watch mode and hoping to NOT have surgery. They have limited my max HR in hopes that it doesn’t grow any further which means no more bike racing unfortunately.
I am wishing you the best with your recovery and hopefully back to Tri if that is safe.
Hello Vermonter. Interesting to read the advice they gave you vs what they gave me. They had been watching mine for about 10 years and the dilation has not increased so they said keep doing what you are doing, if it gets bigger, we will have to consider corrective surgery to the aordic valve. Had it checked about a year ago and it was the same. I have been racing pretty hard for the past 10 years and when this happened on Dec. 10 I had not done a hard work out and of course we are in off season. I think with me it is not endurance exercise induced but genetic. My brother has the same dilation going on and he does not exercise. Anyway, thank God for a fast responding, well qualified medical system in place. I have always believed we have the best medical care in the world even though some try to conjure up statistics denying that statement.
Sounds like you can still maintain a great fitness level without the bike racing. All the best and don’t hesitate to be in touch if something comes up down the road