Wife's heart murmur

[Tywais]

Shortly after we were married my wife asked me to listen to her heart. When I did I was startled as I recognized the whoosh, whoosh sound of a heart murmur. When she was a child the doctors said she wouldn't live to see her 16th birthday. Now nearly 40 the docs say probably won't see 50. I've researched it a lot and assumed it was a valve defect but the sound I found on the site is more like a ventricular septal defect. Sounds just like this - sound here. She doesn't show symptoms all the time but sometimes tires easy and sometimes has an uncomfortable feeling in the chest when trying to sleep.

Now she just asked me what was a bypass as the doctor mentioned it to here as what is required. I don't understand how heart bypass can correct for a heart defect unless she misunderstood and he was explaining what the surgical procedure worked. He also told her she would have to take medication for the rest of her life which I assume would be blood thinners.

She hasn't been very forthcoming on letting me in on what the doctor has diagnosed so will ask for the medical reports and see what is going on.

The question is, is a bypass a possible solution to certain heart murmurs? Haven't found much on the Internet in that regards.

[Sceptict11]

Whatever the "defect" is it probably requires a "heart-lung machine" (Bypass) to facilitate surgical correction.

I would suggest you accompany your wife when she next consults with her cardiologist/cardiac surgeon.

I am sure the situation can be explained in terms that will be understandable to you both.

[Sheryl]

Yes, the bypass would probably be during surgery.

As to the type of surgery, impossible to say without knowing what the problem is.

[NancyL]

Tywais -- aren't you in Chiang Mai? CM Ram has is well regarded with respect the cardiology and the doctors speak excellent English. As someone who had a VSD surgically corrected as a child -- nearly 60 years ago -- I find it almost criminal that your much younger wife was merely told she wouldn't live to see her 16th birthday and nothing was done. In general, it's a defect that's very correctable, especially here in Chiang Mai.

Get her over the CM Ram pronto and stop messing around with whatever local gov't hospital you're going to. (Incidentally, Suan Dok -- Maharaj University Hospital is very capable of doing first rate cardiac surgery, too, but her local gov't hospital may be restricting her access to this excellent regional gov't hospital)

[Tywais]

Tywais -- aren't you in Chiang Mai? CM Ram has is well regarded with respect the cardiology and the doctors speak excellent English.

That's my plan now as my cardiologist at CM Ram is the head of cardiology and quite open about discussion not like some doctors who will tell you the bare minimums. She's been pretty quiet about this and who she has been seeing so will push her further. My guess, she doesn't want to concern me. Sometimes she is too considerate.

Thanks NancyL for your personal experience and Sheryl for the clarification.

[Nowhereman60]

I have had a heart murmur and it turn out to be an aortic value was leaking. A echo cardiogram was done to verify the value leak. Over 35 years I have tested every 6 months. Now my last test showed I need to have the value replaced. The did a angio gram to check for blockages to either put a stent or if bypass surgery would also be done while replacing the value. I had no blockages, but the value will be replaced in April. There are two types of value one a flesh type value and another some type of metal value. With the metal value you need to stay on blood thinners for the rest of your life. Don't know if this helps or even if this is your's wife problem.

[meatboy]

I have had a heart murmur and it turn out to be an aortic value was leaking. A echo cardiogram was done to verify the value leak. Over 35 years I have tested every 6 months. Now my last test showed I need to have the value replaced. The did a angio gram to check for blockages to either put a stent or if bypass surgery would also be done while replacing the value. I had no blockages, but the value will be replaced in April. There are two types of value one a flesh type value and another some type of metal value. With the metal value you need to stay on blood thinners for the rest of your life. Don't know if this helps or even if this is your's wife problem.

I had the same problem as you,from the time they found out that I had a leaking valve and also blocked arteries it was 5yrs before they done the surgery 2007.i had the mechanical valve as it doesn't need to be replaced later in life,your wife twais will need to take warfarin every day for life.i can asure you she will feel like a new woman it changed my quality of life 500%.