Tetralogy of Fallot-Mayo Clinic

Dr. Harold Burkhart, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Mayo Clinic, discusses congenital heart defect Tetralogy of Fallot and its treatment options.

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People & Blogs

Tags:

• Mayo Clinic
• Tetralogy (of) Fallot
• Heart Defect
• Surgery
• Burkhart
• Heart
• Cardiovascular
• Congenital Heart Defect

[mrstmk13]

@mrstmk13 so far I have only been shocked once and that was a testing shock. I haven't had an episode since the machine was placed. Yes I agree we do get a second third chance at life. Its wonderful the way medicine has grown to help us and others with these congential diseases. God has definately blessed us all.

[mrstmk13]

@sactownism A heart block is when your lower part of your heart quivers instead of pumps and doesn't pump blood up to the upper chambers while the upper half of the heart is still beating but not getting blood flow. SO the defibrulator/pacemaker is then put in because it can regulate the pumping by pacing the heart but if that pacing speeds up and it still goes in to heart block it can then shock it back to rhythm and you wont have such a bad effect from it to my understanding.

[sactownism]

@mrstmk13

Hello mrstmk13, it's been a year and I still haven't had my pulmonary heart valve replaced and I'm thinking it's a good thing for me.

I'm just wondering, what is a heart block? It's a good thing that you had a defribulator/pacemaker combo implanted in you. Us, heart patients are very lucky to have a second chance of life.

[mrstmk13]

@mrstmk13 and bad days sometimes more bad then good. They should reconize it as a disability because it really is one. I just pray your not working doing something dangerous where you can get harmed if you have a spell. May God Bless you honey and take care of you

[mrstmk13]

@wakkiJ I don't understand why the UK don't notice it as a disability, I am on disability from this condition here in the US. I can't work cause I don't have enough oxygenated blood and I some times pass out. plus the misbeats the heart has is so dangerous and if your working and have one its not at all good. I right now am having a horrible day because I feel week and just can't motivate myself to do much other then go down stairs to eat lunch other then that I am done. u have good days

[mrstmk13]

@mrstmk13 to see if we would have any major complications you got to remember they discovered this condition in the 1800's were the mortality rate was so low. That only since the 60-70's were we started to live past expectations. We have come along way in medicine since then and just not enough of us to really study long term effects yet to my knowledge. I also started having complications in my mid twenties. I now am 41 with a defibrulator/pacemaker combo and waiting on a new heart.

[mrstmk13]

@wakkiJ I am so sorry your having issues now. I don't think the doctors do this one purpose though I have asked myself the same exact question. Why didn't they tell me I would have issues later. And the answer I keep hearing is that even though this has been around many years, not many of us survived to adulthood and so the few of us that have have either passed away in there twenty or thirtys a few past that but not enough of us to really get any data from

[wakkiJ]

and the government and medical profession should recognise it as a disability in the adult years.

[wakkiJ]

My VSD patch has always been a time bomb it has already shown signs of a bulge, cant do certain jobs or do silly things to put too much pressure on it incase it bursts it and cannot work more than 16 hrs a week now and one day will probably have to give up work a lot earlier than retirement age. Not wanting to give faulse hope to those who are having their surgeries I survived and lived a great life but they should explain that in later years it wears itself out lol.. and the

[wakkiJ]

@mrstmk13 the thing that gets me, is now i know why Ive been having probs since i hit my 40's but why didn't they tell my mum this that it affects us later on in our years .. not only that the UK Disability System will not recognise this condition as a Disability where in America they do. We were fine after we had our corrective surgery and lead a realitively normal life but now we are older and things are showing themselves that restrict us do they not aknowledge the years.