What are the details of having a hole in the pulmonary artery?

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My doctor called me today and said I have a hole in my pulmonary artery. They said its a small hole so its not an emergency and the doctors cant fit me in for an appointment for a month so I cant ask them any questions about it yet. What does this mean and how can it be fixed?
Get a second opinion as the first person said.

Never trust just one doctors opinion, they often make mistakes. I was sent home to die twice by this one doctor and when i was back in emergency the third time I got rid of her since she was incompetent.

I live in canada so you can't really get second opinions easiloy since there is not many doctors working in the hospital, but luckily I got rid of her!

IT could be that the hole is really not an urgent thing but i'm not sure. IT sounds urgent to me, but i'm not a doctor.

Doctors don't really get excited or scared about things like this because it's not happening to them, therefore the outcome really doesn't matter all that much.

They treat life threatening illnesses often so they are very jaded and often don't take it as seriously as you do.

Get a 2nd opinion please, and call into the office to see if yo ucan be put on a cancellation list to get in earlier for the time being.  (+ info)

Does anyone know what effects pulmonary embolisms have on the mitral valve?

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My dad had large pulmonary embolisms and almost sid not make it last month. He had a leaky mitral valve at 30 percent before all of this happened. I just wondered what kind of negative effects this could have on the valve. Could it make it worse or could it have no effect.
A leaky mitral valve will cause increased pressure in the lungs and possibly pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs) if the mitral regurgitation is large enough. The pulmonary embolism will likely cause no additional harm to the mitral valve. It is very serious by itself though and could be made worse by potential pulmonary edema from the faulty mitral valve.  (+ info)

What are symptoms of a pulmonary embolism?

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Hi. A couple of years ago I went to the doctors about a cough I've always had. They did blood work and a chest X-Ray but found nothing. Now recently I found out that my mothers father died of a pulmonary embolism at the age of 33. What I'm wondering is if this cough I have is related to a pulmonary embolism. Also, is a pulmonary embolism genetic?
The symptoms of pulmonary embolism include (in rough order of prevalence) pleuritic chest pain (pain worst in breathing in), shortness of breath, fever, fast heart rate, cough with/without blood. Large pulmonary emboli can result in low blood pressure and the attendant symptoms - dizziness, blackouts, loss of consciousness, etc.

A cough without any other of the above symptoms is quite unlikely to be due to a pulmonary embolus. The tendency to form blood clots (and hence having a higher risk of embolus) can indeed be genetic - there are blood tests to screen for some of the more common conditions, but having a normal test doesn't mean that you are not at increased risk, particularly given your family history.

Aspirin is a cheap drug that may be beneficial in lowering your risk of a pulmonary embolus - but I would hasten to add that there is no solid trial evidence for its effectiveness in this context.  (+ info)

Is Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension linked to my already diagnosed High Blood Pressure?

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I was already diagnosed with HBP and now after going to the doctor a few days ago, I was told that I have Pulmonary Artery Hypertension. I was just wondering if the PAH was a result of the initial HBP I already had. Thx.
You don't give your age,the remainder of your medical history,your medication history,ethnic origin.occupational history nor smoking history,any of which might be linked to your PAH.

It is not linked to hypertension,in fact most is of unknown aetiology. It may be linked to COPD which is why I asked about smoking history. I assume that you have neither CHD,sickle cell anaemia or mitral valve disease as I am sure you would have mentioned them,all can lead to PAH.  (+ info)

What does chronic pulmonary disease or disorder mean?

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Does chronic pulmonary diseases or disorders make people wake up in the middle of the night due to difficulty in breathing? Does this mean that the lungs can't function anymore, much less about to collapse? Is chronic pulmonary disorder fatal?
COPD is a catch all phase for many lung diseases such as asthma, emphsema, chronic bronchitis and so on. The people who have these types of diseases have hyperactive airways that swell and constrict thus restricting the flow of air both into the out of the lungs. Not only can it cause them to wake at night but can include symptoms like chronic cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, lightheadedness, etc. It doesn't necessaryily mean that their lungs aren't functioning anymore, just that they aren't functioning at the normal capacity. The level at which they do work and improve with medication is solely dependant on the type of disorder and the patient themselves. Remember were all individuals. Only in the case of those with severe emphysema do we worry about spontaneous pneumothorax's (collapsed lung due to air trapped between the lung and the chest wall) due to the bleb structures. As to the fatalities, asthmatics are the ones to worry about the most as most do not take their controller medication as they should and when they have a really bad attack they usually wait to long to go to the hospital and end up dying do to the severity of the attack. Hope that this helps.  (+ info)

Anybody have experiences with pulmonary valve replacement surgery to share?

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I have severe pulmonary valve insufficiancy and an enlarged right ventricle and was told I need a new pulmonary valve.
They can't decide if they want to do the surgery now or wait so I get to sit around and think about it for a while.
Not with "Pulmonary" valve replacement, but my husband has had his aortic valve replaced twice. The first time was in 1984 over at Stanford Medical Center. They put in a "Homograph" which is a valve from some one who has recently died. If a human one was not available at the time of surgery they would have put in a pig valve. We were told at the time that the valve would last about 15 years max and that he would not have to take anticoagulants as he would have if he had had a metal valve up in. The metal valves are hard on blood going through and sort of smash the blood cells and that can possible cause clotting...this the anticoagulants. In 1993 he had to have a new valve put in (at a different hopsital) becasue he had gotten an infection and it settled around the valve tissue and basically distroyed it. My husband said he did not want to have another "homograph" or a pig valve. He wanted to have a metal one that would not wear out. At first the sound of it bugged him, but it evenutally became a normal sound to him and he doesn't even notice it much at all...it no longer bothers him. He even says that when he does notice it in an odd way it is comforting to hear it beat strong and regular. He is on anticoagulants, but it has not been a problem at all. You just have to go get the levels tested on a monthly basis once you are stablized after starting. It too become "old hat".

I know for certain if my husband was answering this (he upstairs sleeping) he would advise everyone who goes through open heart surgery to do their coughing exercises when the nurses tell you to and try to do it more if you can. It doesn't feel good because you are sore, but it really helps so much with getting better and faster!!!! Other people who I have talk with that have had a valve replacement say the same thing.

Also, I don't know if it was the difference in proceedures (being 9 years apart...and progress etc) but his second operation was signifigantly less painful and he was off the stronger medication within a day or so. With any major operation, it an assult to your body and it takes time to get your strength back. Once you do though you will have a lot mor energy than you probably have now.
Hope some of this helps. All the best.  (+ info)

What is pulmonary scarring in a chest xray result?

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I have the chest xray last august 28, 2009 resulting from suspicious fibrosis. after a week i had the second chest xray. as i remember, last august 28 was my 3rd time this year having a chest xray. does it affect my 4th result? what is pulmonary scarring? please help me, i'm worried na kc..
thanks!
pulmonary scarring (or Pulmonary Fibrosis) involves scarring of the lung. Gradually, the air sacs of the lungs become replaced by fibrotic tissue. When the scar forms, the tissue becomes thicker causing an irreversible loss of the tissue’s ability to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream.
the symptoms are Shortness of breath - particularly with exertion
Chronic-, dry hacking cough, Fatigue and weakness, Discomfort in the chest, Loss of appetite, Rapid weight loss  (+ info)

Can a twenty four hour blood pressure moniter tell you if you have Pulmonary Hypertention?

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I wore a twenty four hour Bp Monitor and the results were perfect, If I were to have pulmonary hypertension the results would be less then Perfect i assume?

Is this right?
Thank you for your help!
I also had a whole echocardiogram and they saw minor regurgitation but he said its no need to worry about it was fine.
No it would not. The BP monitor does not measures pressures in the pulmonary circulation. The most common first test to evaluate for pulmonary hypertension is usually an echocardiogram, which you have already have. It is the standard of care, for the cardiologist who was reviewing the echo to estimate pulmonary pressures. So if it does not say that your pulmonary pressures are elevated on echo, then it would be unlikely that you have pulmonary hypertension. The next test is called a right sided cardiac catheterization which is also known as a Swan Ganz catheterization. This is performed by a cardiologist. Discuss the results of your echocardiogram with your physician to determine if further evaluation for pulmonary hypertension is needed. Good luck.  (+ info)

What are the post op recommendations for pulmonary valve stenosis repair in infants?

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My son recently underwent open heart surgery for stenosis of one of the pulmonary valves. It has been a week and a half since that and I'm following all of the doctors orders, but I would just like to know if there is anything else I can do to help him recover better/faster.
It is always good to follow your doctors advice.  (+ info)

How common are pulmonary flow murmurs in adults?

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I'm 22 and have been diagnosed with an innocent pulmonary flow murmur. It's audible only after exercise when i breathe out fully according to the doctor. I've read lots on the internet about these in children but how common are they in adults? could i have had this for years and it go undetected or could it have developed later?
A common sign of pulmonary stenosis is a sound called a heart murmur — an abnormal whooshing sound caused by turbulent blood flow — that your doctor may hear when he or she listens to your heartbeat. Other signs and symptoms may include: Shortness of breath, especially during exertion .Chest pain .Loss of consciousness (fainting) .Fatigue .Poor weight gain (in babies)
Signs and symptoms vary, depending on the extent to which the valve is obstructed. People with mild pulmonary stenosis might have symptoms only while exercising or have none at all.

Pulmonary valve stenosis is a condition in which the flow of blood from your heart to your lungs is obstructed by a deformed pulmonary valve.
The disorder is usually present at birth. Adults occasionally have pulmonary valve stenosis as a complication of another illness.

Pulmonary valve stenosis ranges from mild and without symptoms to severe and debilitating, with most cases being mild. Mild pulmonary stenosis doesn't usually worsen over time, but moderate and severe cases may progress and require surgery. Fortunately, treatment is highly successful, and most people with pulmonary valve stenosis can expect to lead normal lives.

Look after yourself,will you?  (+ info)

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