In 2003, Sheana Nelson decided to preach for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her destination was Mongolia, so before going to Central Asia, the Washington State resident went to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah to learn Mongolian.
She saw John Ryan, a cardiologist from the Department of Health at the University of Utah, and a nurse from the Ryan team of MD listened to her heart. Sheina learned that she had a heart murmur. This is a good example. Ryan let her hear.
She recalled: “The best way to describe it is like a baby undergoing an ultrasound examination.” “My heart can make a hoarse sound more than a normal solid popping sound.”
Heart murmur is a deceptive problem in cardiology. Sometimes they have nothing to worry about. Ryan explained: “If you have an ultrasound and you find that the heart valve is not problematic or blocked, it is a’innocent murmur’.” “It does not cause damage, but it is worth knowing.”
At other times, murmurs can indicate serious heart problems, even as life-threatening as Sheana. But how to distinguish?
The answer usually depends on whether it is a new murmur (what Ryan calls “turbulence in the heart”). Sometimes this is caused by uneven blood return, which is called reflux. Sometimes it is due to narrowing of the valve. In some cases, patients are born with a heart murmur or develop a heart murmur at a young age. But others have undergone many physical examinations and primary care visits until the provider suddenly finds that they hear a heart murmur during routine check-ups.
If there is a heart valve problem, potential damage is a problem. Symptoms may include shortness of breath or the beginning of fluid accumulation. Leaking or narrowing of the valve (for example, valve disease) or the heart beating so fast that it obstructs blood flow requires surgery. Ryan said: “If valvular heart disease causes heart failure, the treatment is to replace or repair the valve.” That could mean open thoracic surgery.
The good news about all of this is that although the diagnostic methods may vary, determining the innocence of the murmur is not an invasive or traumatic experience. Echocardiography is “very simple,” Ryan said. “There is no radiation, no pressure, and no trauma. It does not cause any damage.”
In Sheana’s case, she needed to replace the deteriorating pig valve. The problem is that this will be a mechanical valve that will make her live longer; or another valve that she prefers.
It was time for surgery, and in August 2016, she changed her mind. She recalled that she prayed a lot and realized that she didn’t want her child to have to experience worrying about her if she needed to change the valve of the second piglet. Although she has always liked using pig valves, shortly before he operated on her, she told Craig Selzman, Professor of Surgery and Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery Department at UU Health, MD, that she wanted a mechanical valve.
She said it was an easy decision, and Selzman explained to her the benefits of using mechanical valves.
Four years after the operation, Sheana performed well. At night, when she and her husband went to bed, in a quiet environment, they could hear her heart beating, thanks to the mechanical valve. She has a voice machine that can stop it, but that doesn’t mean they don’t like the medical miracle on her chest. It ticked: “Remind him that I am alive, and I feel the same way,” Hina said. “When I hear it, I will be very grateful. I’m still alive because of that voice. That’s really talent.”
Post time: Dec-25-2020
