Joshua's Profile

Since birth I have had a bicuspid aortic valve, but it was never a problem and the regurgitation was never of concern. However, I had not seen a cardiologist in a few years and I decided in Fall 2015 to see one for a checkup. He informed me that it appeared my heart had enlarged and I would definitely need a valve replacement in the next few years. I decided that there was no better time to get the surgery than the following summer. After a second opinion and meeting an amazing surgeon, I knew I was in safe hands. The 4-hour mechanical valve "minimally invasive" surgery turned into a 7-hour full sternotomy to replace the valve and fix swelling issues. I came out of surgery at night, and was walking the next morning down the hallway in the ICU. They transferred me to the normal cardiac care unit that same day and I was healing very well. I felt alert when I was awake, and really didn't feel that much pain. After 4 total days in the hospital, I was discharged home. My recovery at home was fairly smooth, walking a mile within the first week, and traveling on the subway one week after my surgery (not recommended during rush hour). Overall my surgical experience was easy, but I did have to get used to the clicking, feeling the heart, and ultimately feeling and hearing the occasional arrhythmia. 7 months after my surgery, I'm completely out of my funk that definitely included some depression post-op.