UWMC - Two Days Before Vascular Surgery

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Monday June 15, 2020
Dr. Burke, a cardiothoracic surgeon, stopped by this morning to explain what he would be looking for in the echocardiogram. A normal aortic valve has three leaflets that open and close to pump blood from the heart and up the aorta. Some people are born with a bicuspid valve (two leaflets). The use of the echocardiogram would indicate what shape my aortic valve was in and if it would be spared or replaced. 

aortic valve
 
 The radiologist at the Tacoma ER speculated that it was a bicuspid valve but UWMC wanted a second look. 

The echocardiogram machine was soon wheeled in and the sonographer spent the next hour taking pictures of my heart from every angle possible. Dr. Burke returned just as the image of the aortic valve was displayed. They determined that I had been born with a tricuspid valve but over time the top and right leaflet had fused together to create a bicuspid valve. The body is so peculiar... 
echocardiogram machine     bicuspid valve 

Afterward, Dr. Sweet dropped in and drew out his explanation of how his Wednesday operation will look. 


transposition

While waiting for the surgery they encouraged me to eat as much protein as possible to help with wound healing and tissue regeneration. 

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