Posted by Elizabeth on November 13, 2003 at 16:30:20:
Hi everyone. I am not sure if anyone can answer this question for me (after my father's maze and mitral valve repair I have come to rely on this board for helpful heart information) but I am wondering about the prognosis for someone who has both of these conditions. I think that some of you, like my father, also had mitral valve problems. I know that alone and with no heart defects they can both be rather common occurances.
I have had palpitations (a fluttering sensation or sense of the heart galloping up into the throat) for several years off and on but they have worsened over the past several months to the point where I have 1 to 3 or 4 a day. It is an awful feeling and takes my breath away. I also feel my heart pounding at night when I try to go to sleep (although my pulse is usually always normal).
I have episodes where I feel my heart is beating abnormally for several hours at a time although I am unable to detect this by feeling my pulse.
I saw a new doctor for this yesterday (I just recently moved) and she thought I might have mitral valve prolapse (it runs in the family) and that the palpitations were PVCs. Given the family history and the sensation of an irregular heartbeat I will have bloodwork, an EKG, an echo and I think an event monitor.
Should this set of tests catch anything dangerous? Also, could the mitral valve prolapse be causing the PVCs? And if so, does this mean I will eventually (if I don't already) have afib and need a valve repair and a maze?
I know that you have all experienced much worse but I am afraid and would appreciate any light you could shed on this limited amount of information. I will keep you posted on the test results.