Mitral Valve - Post surgery Care

[Sarwan]

One month before, My mom underwent MVR heart surgery.  Here are the details,
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DIAGNOSIS
Rheumatic Heart Disease, Grade III Mitral Regurgitation, Mild Mitral Stenosis, Mild Pulmonary Artery Hypertension, Normal LV Function

OPERATION DONE
Mitral Valve Replacement with 27mm CE Bio-prosthetic Valve with Preservation of Tensor Apparatus  

MITRAL VALVE FINDINGS
Thickened
Mildly calcified and restricted PML
Regurgitant valve
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My mother is also a diabetic patient ***

Recent Test Report: (9-4-2010)    

SERUM BILIRUBIN (JENDRASSIK/GROF)       2.0     mg/dl       range(0.2 - 1.0)

PROTHROMBIN TIME (PT)

PT PATIENT VALUE (OPTO-MECHANICAL)             15.1            sec          range (13-15)

PT (OPTO-MECHANICAL)                                       13.4            sec

INTERNATIONAL NORMALISED RATIO (INR)           1.15                           range (1.0 - 1.2)


***** She is taking  Tab. Warfarin 2.5mg once daily (7 pm)
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Doctor advised to check POTASSIUM 2 weeks once.


Could you advise on the following

1. what are the lab test she has to take to check her heart valve condition is normal.

2. How to check heart rate.  what is the normal range

3. Please advise on what are the things she has to be careful

[kenkeith]

The best test for MVR  is an echocardiogram.  The exam with the doppler software will view and record the blood flow normally through the heart valves as well as any back flow of blood due to improper closing of leaflets over the one-way valve.  Grade 3 valve insuffiency indicated a moderate degree of back flow (regurgitation) with the mitral valve.  Everything else appears to be no problem.

Heart rate is considered to medically normal if the beats are less than 100 per minute.  With that aside, the bpm should average around 70.  If the heart rate is consistently low (60 bpm), there could be a problem but is not unexpected for some individuals.

Recent test (9-4-2010?)!  The INR should be closely monitored...many have the INR level evaluated on a weekly basis.