Aortic Valve Replacement

trevorb
trevorb Posts: 49
edited October 2013 in Training, fitness and health
Hi all. I have been informed that I need a Aortic (bicuspid) valve replacement next month. Currently I am a fit club cyclist averaging 150M per week and have shown no signs that I had a problem. I wondered if anyone else here or maybe knows someone who has undergone this type of surgery? I would be interested to hear how your recovery went and if there were any impacts on your cycling following the procedure. Thanks.

Comments

  • warrenh123
    warrenh123 Posts: 18
    I was diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve that would need replacing in about 5 years. That was six years ago and i still haven't had it done so can't give you any specific answer, though i know exactly how you're feeling!
    If you haven't come across these yet, there are forums called valvereplacement.org & cardiacathletes.com which have lots of useful threads from cyclists & runners etc who have gone through valve replacement surgery.
    Best of luck next month!
  • trevorb
    trevorb Posts: 49
    edited October 2013
    Many thanks for the information and I will definitely take a look at those sites. I discovered that I had a bicuspid in 2002 during a scan following a viral infection. To be honest I was never told that it could become a problem at a later date and it was only as a result of a scan for a medical for a new job that I was told the valve was leaking and needed replacing fairly urgently. It was a total shock as I had no noticeable symptoms but I am adopting a pragmatic approach to the requirement for surgery with the believe that the sooner it is replaced the better it will be for me and my cycling. I have been told 6-8 weeks recovery but this will depend on the type of surgery (full brestbone cut or less invasive). My clubmates are shocked when I tell them that I have been riding with a dodgy heart for years! :shock:
  • warrenh123
    warrenh123 Posts: 18
    People are always surprised when i tell them. Something about the phrase 'congenital heart defect' makes them think you should be lying in bed not banging in the miles! Mind you sometimes i'm inclined to agree with them when i'm slogging up some of these Yorkshire hills.
    Sounds like you've got the right attitude & you'll probably be wondering what all the fuss was about before you know it!
  • trevorb
    trevorb Posts: 49
    It is 7 weeks since surgery and life is returning to normal. In the end surgery was more intensive than expected as I also needed an aortic graft on top of the aortic valve replacement. I am looking forward to getting back on the bike and seeing how my heart, lungs and legs react after 2 months of inactivity. I will probably start with a couple of weeks of steady turbo rides before venturing out on the road. If anyone is facing heart surgery then please feel free to contact me for any advice or information. :D
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    Pleased that it all went ok and that life is returning to normal
  • markp80
    markp80 Posts: 444
    Mikey23 wrote:
    Pleased that it all went ok and that life is returning to normal
    ^^ This
    Boardman Road Comp - OK, I went to Halfords
    Tibia plateau fracture - the rehab continues!
  • OverTheHillAt21
    OverTheHillAt21 Posts: 102
    Glad to hear you are through the surgery. I had OHS in 2011 and two emergency readmissions so it was 3 months before I was able to even try gentle aerobic exericise (beyond walking) and 4 months before I dared try a run. Now things are not so bad although the sternum wiring gives me trouble and may need tweaking a bit as its threatening to cut through the skin. I went on cardiacathletes.com for some time but packed it in after a year as I found that for psychological reasons its best to not label myself like that. There are some amazing athletes on there. Good luck with the comeback!

Categories