Anyone have issues after St Jude valve placed?

mineticks84
  • By mineticks84 · January 15, 2013 at 9:59 pm · 7 replies
  • In How heart disease has changed my life
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Alright a lil bit of back ground on myself, I am 28 (soon to be 29) woman who has had four open heart surgeries.... After all my surgeries EXCEPT the last one my quality of life and energy level and how I feel always bounced back and I would feel 110% better after the surgery.
My last surgery was done in 2008, I was 24.... two weeks after surgery is when all my issues started I was still having massive fatigue, shortness of breath, MASSIVE palpitations causing my heart rate to go from normal to racing and right back to normal and it started only happening a little through the day. Now it happens all the time throughout the day and on top of the shortness of breath and the MASSIVE fatigue it has made my quality of life go down, I feel as though I can barely do anything due to the effects and symptoms it causes me. I can barely walk up a flight of stairs without stopping to catch my breath, I sleep way more then I should and not by choice.. I have also been diagnosed since my last surgery with congestive heart failure, and I have had a heart attack. And I regret having my last surgery due to feeling worse AFTER my surgery then I did before my surgery.

My question to anyone who has had a St Jude valve placed, have you had any symptoms after your surgery that has been bothersome? What did they do about it? Were doctors trying to tell you that your symptoms after the surgery was "all in your head" because that is what all the doctors tell me. But we know our bodies more then a doctor can or ever will because we can feel what is going on they cannot.... so I KNOW it isnt all in my head....

My thoughts, I think that there might be people out there that are having simiular or the same issues but are just dealing with it better then myself. But I also honestly and TRULY feel that the valve I have placed in me is a defective valve and they just dont have enough people who have come forward to have it actually recalled....

I have contacted St Jude, and they told me they would talk to my drs and get back to me, and told me they would look into my concerns, that was over a year ago and NO CONTACT has been made since I first talked with them.... I have tried calling them back as well with no return phone calls. Wonder why???? Could it be that they KNOW That there is problems with the valves but dont want to get sued for taking so long to actually recall them?

Anyways, all I ask is IF you have had a valve placed and you are having any symptoms that are bothersome or causing it hard to live a "normal" life.... PLEASE CONTACT ST JUDE, and tell them everything.... The MORE people who are having this issue and the MORE people who contact St Jude the higher the chance of them addmitting faulty equipment.... they dont have to report any sort of complaints people tell them about until they have a certain amount of complaints....

Thank you for reading, and if you want to talk to me directly about any symptoms you have had or anything like that, please do so
mineticks1984@gmail.com

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7 replies   

Antigone

Is your valve tissue or mechanical? I don't think the concern should be about the St. Jude valve; the concern should be the status of your heart. Why have you needed 4 heart surgeries? Have they all been for valves? What does your cardiologist say about your heart? Do you have CHF? I would assume since the valve replacement that you have had echos either every 6 months or at least once per year. What do the echo reports say about your heart, and the function of the new valve?

I don't doubt you feel awful, but I think it's a big stretch to pin it all on the St. Jude valve. You should have received a card from St. Jude that has the model type and serial number of the valve that was implanted in you. If you don't have it, your surgeon's office has that information. Sometimes valves are recalled. If there's a problem with yours and it was recalled, you would have been notified.

I have a St. Jude Medical Regent valve in the aortic position. Surgery was over three years ago, and I am fine.

kleasmile

I have St.Jude mitral valve since 2006, except the anticoagulant and all antibiotic and precautions for dental procedures(( everything else with St.Jude is ok

mineticks84

A st Jude valve is a mechanical valve. I have looked for recalls on my valve and there haven't been any but they won't admit fault unless there are enough people come forward with issues. I do see a cardiologist and do have regular echos and i have found out i have a moderate to severe leak on my aortic valve. I forgave congestive heart failure that was diagnosed with after my surgery.... I have also had a heart attack since my surgery.
My Dr tells me all my symptoms r all in my head that he doesn't think i am having issues.
All my valves have been replaced because i have an artificial valve and they do jot grow with u so i have had different sizes put in.

Lovingmomnwife

That's a terrible thing that St. Jude don't call you back. Probably they knew they did something wrong to patients. I feel sorry of what you'd been through. Four surgeries is too much to suffer. Whatever your body telling you, you are the one who could tell if something wrong. My primary doctor didn't listen to me too and I end up having a double bypass at the end. Hope many people will come out from your plea. All I can say to you is " never never give up" and don't lose hope.

mineticks84
  • By mineticks84
  • Reply 3728014 · In reply to 3727986 by Lovingmomnwife
  • January 22, 2013 at 4:23 am
  • Report post

Thank you lovingmomnwife.... It is just so frustrating KNOWING and feeling all these symptoms for the past 5 years.... My cardiologist not listening to me or trusting me that i am having this.much issues and fully 150% regretting having the surgery due to the fact i feel worse after....
After all my other surgeries (EXCEPT the last one) after recovery time, i felt 110% better and could run a mile if i wanted to and my life wasn't limited and now i can barely function
... I am a fighter and i refuse to give up. But i hope.and pray that more people if they are having any kind of bad or not normal symptoms will.come forward....

mineticks84
  • By mineticks84
  • Reply 3728015 · In reply to 3727986 by Lovingmomnwife
  • January 22, 2013 at 4:24 am
  • Report post

Thank you lovingmomnwife.... It is just so frustrating KNOWING and feeling all these symptoms for the past 5 years.... My cardiologist not listening to me or trusting me that i am having this.much issues and fully 150% regretting having the surgery due to the fact i feel worse after....
After all my other surgeries (EXCEPT the last one) after recovery time, i felt 110% better and could run a mile if i wanted to and my life wasn't limited and now i can barely function
... I am a fighter and i refuse to give up. But i hope.and pray that more people if they are having any kind of bad or not normal symptoms will.come forward....

rachelanne

I am so sorry to hear that you are having these terrible symptoms--and not being heard. I had the St Jude mechanical valve placed about eight weeks ago, so far everything seems okay, but I will contact them if I ever have a problem. I wish I could be of help!

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