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[New to this disease]
Author: Lori (---.dialsprint.net)
Date: 10-08-02 21:55
There are a couple of terms I do not yet understand.
Like resting gradient
That alcohol surgery
There was one other surgery also
Also, to the people who have lost loved ones to this disease, my condolences.
Know that with each person that has passed away and your loss has made it better for the rest of us and our children.
I believe something good always comes from the pain we experience.
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[Re: New to this disease]
Author: Lori (---.dialsprint.net)
Date: 10-08-02 22:42
What about the book everyone says is available?
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[Re: New to this disease]
Author: Sarah B--Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 10-09-02 01:25
Dear Lori
If you call the HCMA office at 973-983-7429, you can buy the book and become a member for $50, and renewals are less than that (I can't remember exactly, but it is in the membership section of the web site). The book is "Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: For Patients, their families, and iNterested Physicians."
Myectomy is a surgery where they cut away the hypertrophy on the septum (the wall between the ventricles).
Alcohol septal ablation is a procedure where they inject ethyl alcohol into the septal hypertrophy which kills it and makes it go away.
Gradient is the pressure of the blood flowing out of the heart. I am not as "up" on gradients as I ought to be. big sigh. I know someone here will post a detailed account for you shortly (or I will).
take care,
Sarah
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[Re: New to this disease]
Author: Glen (65.247.42.---)
Date: 10-09-02 08:33
Hi Lori, my understanding of Gradient is a pressure difference between the inside of the heart and the outside artery thru the aortic valve.
If you have zero gradient that's great because the pressure inside and out is the same and that would indicate you have no blockage. (the thickened septem is not interferring with the valve)
If you have some gradient say 15, which is fairly low, that means there is a pressure difference and usually indicates a slight blockage. (the thickened septem is interferring with the valve)
If you had something like a 60-70 gradient this would indicate a higher pressure difference and a more severe blockage.
They usually do a couple readings, one at rest and one during exercise to see if the gradient goes up and how much.
People with a high gradient usually have more symptoms because of the blockage and this can often be relieved by the two procedures that Sarah mentioned above.
Good Luck
Glen
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[Re: New to this disease]
Author: Sandy (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 10-09-02 08:58
Nurse at Mayo explained "gradient"to me using the example of putting a finger on the garden hose to create higher pressure. Apparently the obstrucion in the heart has the same effect.
Sandy
Author: Lori (---.dialsprint.net)
Date: 10-08-02 21:55
There are a couple of terms I do not yet understand.
Like resting gradient
That alcohol surgery
There was one other surgery also
Also, to the people who have lost loved ones to this disease, my condolences.
Know that with each person that has passed away and your loss has made it better for the rest of us and our children.
I believe something good always comes from the pain we experience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: New to this disease]
Author: Lori (---.dialsprint.net)
Date: 10-08-02 22:42
What about the book everyone says is available?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: New to this disease]
Author: Sarah B--Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 10-09-02 01:25
Dear Lori
If you call the HCMA office at 973-983-7429, you can buy the book and become a member for $50, and renewals are less than that (I can't remember exactly, but it is in the membership section of the web site). The book is "Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: For Patients, their families, and iNterested Physicians."
Myectomy is a surgery where they cut away the hypertrophy on the septum (the wall between the ventricles).
Alcohol septal ablation is a procedure where they inject ethyl alcohol into the septal hypertrophy which kills it and makes it go away.
Gradient is the pressure of the blood flowing out of the heart. I am not as "up" on gradients as I ought to be. big sigh. I know someone here will post a detailed account for you shortly (or I will).
take care,
Sarah
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: New to this disease]
Author: Glen (65.247.42.---)
Date: 10-09-02 08:33
Hi Lori, my understanding of Gradient is a pressure difference between the inside of the heart and the outside artery thru the aortic valve.
If you have zero gradient that's great because the pressure inside and out is the same and that would indicate you have no blockage. (the thickened septem is not interferring with the valve)
If you have some gradient say 15, which is fairly low, that means there is a pressure difference and usually indicates a slight blockage. (the thickened septem is interferring with the valve)
If you had something like a 60-70 gradient this would indicate a higher pressure difference and a more severe blockage.
They usually do a couple readings, one at rest and one during exercise to see if the gradient goes up and how much.
People with a high gradient usually have more symptoms because of the blockage and this can often be relieved by the two procedures that Sarah mentioned above.
Good Luck
Glen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: New to this disease]
Author: Sandy (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 10-09-02 08:58
Nurse at Mayo explained "gradient"to me using the example of putting a finger on the garden hose to create higher pressure. Apparently the obstrucion in the heart has the same effect.
Sandy