At the six month way point on my surgical path,many judicious thoughts occur to me.The giddy waves of promotion are sternly resisted in these quarters.
The medical secretary wants to know how the conventional heart valve surgery patient is doing.The patient says he is almost better.In fact,this may be as well as it will be possible to be,given all that has happened to me.I have been hit by a surgical truck,after all.
The after affects are still with me.Optical migraines are not as frequent,but these visual disturbances continue to flash from time to time.The large incision itself does still sting a bit on most days.It has fully healed at the top,but the bottom of the scar remains prominent,along with the chest drain scars.
You may think that minimally invasive surgery,including the robotic approach,will soon be available to all.Though widely available now,it may not be suitable for all.The most seriously ill patients could require the traditional big incision.Perhaps it still provides the most comprehensive access to the heart.
A tiny leak from the repaired valve might seem inconsequential.Given the laws of physics,though,even a small post-surgical leak must be monitored closely for the rest of a patient's life.Any leakage from anything tends to worsen over time.
The new anticoagulant drug Pradaxa is being heavily promoted on television,but hasn't been approved for patients with significant heart valve disease.At least four deaths in New Zealand are being attributed to the medication.As well,it is many times more expensive than the old standby Warfarin.In addition,no antidote for the new blood-thinner is currently available,while there are several for Warfarin.Plainly,Pradaxa has not had the benefit of an extensive history.
With such considerations,I have been dealing with some of the issues of these medical times.
No comments:
Post a Comment