I'm 16 and I have a Minor Heart Valve leak, I have to take pills every time I have dental work done, and my aunt said something about maybe looking at surgery. Is it really anything to worry about? is surgery something i should really look at? and are pills really necessary?
A medical consultation is necessary.
pass the universal care wellbeing practitioner and bypass as we communicate to a coronary heart expert who will do a coronary heart sonogram and run different attempt and for this reason might have the means to deal including your matters handy. I even have Mitral Valve Prolapse and that i in basic terms knew this with the aid of a coronary heart sonogram.
The pills before dental work are necessary, yes. When you have a problem with one or more of your heart valves you're at increased risk of endocarditis (poor dental care/not taking the pills is the most common cause of endocarditis) and, if you get that, you'll be left feeling very sick and stuck in hospital, plus endocarditis can cause heart failure or even death so it isn't something to dismiss lightly. Whether or not surgery is an option at the moment for you is something you'll have to discuss with your own doctor. If it isn't stopping you from doing things you want to do in your everyday life, then it almost certainly isn't needed yet. If/when you do decide to have the valve repaired/replaced, you may not need any actual surgery. Increasingly more and more hospitals, incl. mine, are doing valve repairs and replacements without the need for surgery. They do it in the catheter lab, using a catheter (thin plastic tube) threaded up through your blood vessels (usually going into your groin) to your heart. That way you just need a sedative rather than an anaesthetic, plus people are in and out of hospital the same day with nothing more than a band aid to show they've had anything done. Even if your hospital is still only doing surgical repairs/replacements, it is a common, routine and safe surgery. It has a success rate greater than 98% and 96% of people who have it done find they need no further work on the valve for at least another 15 years. If eventually you do decide to have the leaky valve replaced tho. you will have to take anti-coagulant medication (warfarin pills) every day, and have regular blood tests, for the rest of your life. If you're pretty much free of medication and doctor's appointment's at the moment, it's* another thing to consider before making any decision to get your valve replaced. (*how you'll feel about taking daily medication and having to get frequent blood tests from now 'til eternity)
