This AM 57 years ago I was being surgically prepped for a mechanical valve implant
. I still have that original mechanical valve.
My surgeon told me the valve was tested to last 50 years and that should be enough time since life expectancy in 1967 was about 73 years......giving me about 8 years to spare, as I was then 31 . I thought he was just trying to make me feel good and I thought it would last no more than 20 years and was not aware that re-ops were possible. I am glad he was more right than me.....and really glad we were both wrong. I have now had that valve about 2/3 of my life and would make the same choice if I was 31 years old again.
1. Warfarin management is not a big deal.....especially since the INR system and home testing were introduced.
2. I eat just about anything I want.....except for snails and raw oysters....yuck!
3. At my current age(88) my activity level has declined, but, as a younger man I did what you would expect a younger man to do....both good and bad.
4. Most importantly, my mechanical valve has kept me off an operating table for re-ops or a slab in the morgue.
When I had the surgery there were very limited choices for valves....as I recall there was only one valve on the market so my valve choice was very easy to make. Today there are many choices (maybe too many), so choose intelligently, especially if you need the valve for "the long hall".
. I still have that original mechanical valve.My surgeon told me the valve was tested to last 50 years and that should be enough time since life expectancy in 1967 was about 73 years......giving me about 8 years to spare, as I was then 31 . I thought he was just trying to make me feel good and I thought it would last no more than 20 years and was not aware that re-ops were possible. I am glad he was more right than me.....and really glad we were both wrong. I have now had that valve about 2/3 of my life and would make the same choice if I was 31 years old again.
1. Warfarin management is not a big deal.....especially since the INR system and home testing were introduced.
2. I eat just about anything I want.....except for snails and raw oysters....yuck!
3. At my current age(88) my activity level has declined, but, as a younger man I did what you would expect a younger man to do....both good and bad.
4. Most importantly, my mechanical valve has kept me off an operating table for re-ops or a slab in the morgue.
When I had the surgery there were very limited choices for valves....as I recall there was only one valve on the market so my valve choice was very easy to make. Today there are many choices (maybe too many), so choose intelligently, especially if you need the valve for "the long hall".
