Originally Posted by
mollusk
I was scheduled for surgery for valve repair and on the last electrocardiogram they saw some improvement. It slowly got better and I never went in for open heart surgery. A doctor can still hear it if they listen for it.
The only downside in my everyday life is that they make me take antibiotics whenever I see the dentist.
Happy to hear you condition has improved and you no longer need surgery. Either they install a pig valve (mainly for people who tend to bleed internally) which only lasts about 10 years or a mechanical one where you need to take blood thinners for the rest of your life to prevent clots. I have a mild case and have been fully tested, including a stress test and I am OK to ride. My HR even goes up to around 185 on occasion which for someone 59 is pretty high. Doctors said it was OK.
As to taking antibiotics there have been some papers recently where it seems taking antibiotics is no longer necessary prior to dental work. I checked with my dentist and doctor and they both agreed. However when I have some work done where there is a lot of blood, as in a cleaning, I still take it. For fillings and root canals I don't.
Again good news for you.