My dad is 98. His insurance is Kaiser. He has servere Aortic Stenosis and one kidney was removed due to cancer that was contained. He has had several tests to determine if he is a candidate for Transcatherer Aortic Valve Implantation including two CT scans to map is heart and arteries. The group of Cardio Doctors have determined that he should have the procedure. He keeps on asking me if he should go through with the procedure, I am on the fence I do not know what to do. First he said I'm doing it then he called me and said I do not want to do it. The reasons are he is my mother's caregiver he feels it will take him some time to recover. I am wondering if this would even help they said he would be about 20% improvement but could not guarantee. I am at a loss. I want to support him but feel it is not worth the trauma to his body to have the procedure.
I am amazed that he can still take care of his wife, leave the poor guy alone.
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a minimally invasive procedure that replaces a diseased or malfunctioning aortic valve with a new one. It's also known as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).
Details
Purpose:
Treats aortic stenosis, a narrowing of the aortic valve that prevents blood from flowing properly to the body.
Procedure:
A catheter is inserted into a blood vessel in the chest or upper leg and used to place a new valve over the old one.
Risks:
Bleeding, abnormal heart rhythms, stroke, kidney impairment, and death.
Recovery:
Patients are monitored in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit for at least 24 hours, then moved to a regular ward for 5–10 days. Full recover normally takes 1-2 months.
TAVI is a common procedure that's mostly painless. It's often used for patients who are at high risk for surgery.
Moderate sedation is normally used.
Since dad only has 1 kidney, I'd speak to the doctor about the risks to his remainng kidney.
Good luck with a difficult situation.
I hope you will update us here about the final choice. Do know your dad may swing back and forth a bit here. Help him to explore all the information available if he wishes to have it.
I am also quite amazed that your Dad cares for your mother at his age?
He certainly must be unusually vital.
I am a former cardiology RN. This is a minimally invasive procedure; I am sure you know by reading up on it. However, he has a heart that is 98 years old and there's that to consider. I will say this should not be done without a Plan B that would involve both Dad and Mom in care in ALF. However, that could come any day in any case?
This is something the family should read up on, discuss, discuss with MD and ulltimately, your Dad being of sound mind, it is up to him. He knows better than anyone what he is dealing with in terms of his own longevity I do believe. It is his decision taking into consideration all the above.
Best wishes to your family. Do know that I myself would not have this procedure, but I also wouldn't have anything even minimal now, including a pacemaker. I am 82 and have little guts of old age, which your Dad is doing now so beautifully. He's a lucky guy.
Have YOU discussed with his doctor's what the recovery looks like and what the anesthesia options are?
My dad s 96. I would not consent to him having a procedure like this. There is a chance your father would be okay, but I truly believe he will not recover satisfactorily, if at all.
Id want my dad to just live out his natural life without this sort of intervention.
If it were my dad I would ask him if it will really be worth it in the end for such a low percentage chance of even helping, as he is so very close to leaving this world anyway.
And I can't help but wonder why in the world any doctor would want to do any procedure on a 98 year old person, other than for the money, and that is a crying shame.
Let your dad just enjoy whatever time he may have left, and make sure that you have plans for your mom if he were to die first.