Search results

Hi Jimmy, I had my valve replacement six years ago when I was your age. No regrets about going with a mechanical valve so far. Daily Coumadin has been a non-issue and INR testing at home has been very convenient. My diet is rarely inconvenienced and I am in range 88% of the time. Also, take...

I have a mechanical mitral valve, going on six years now. I think you are right about the need for a higher INR range over aortic valves due to the increased risk of clotting. I have heard that a biological valve in the mitral position wears out faster than in the aortic position due to...

I ran occasional marathons, most well under three hours, and raced lesser distances more frequently, prior to my valve replacement. My increasing age and slowing race times had already led to a decrease in my motivation and attendance at races prior to my surgery but after my recovery I found...

I had a TEE done before my MVR to confirm the extent and seriousness of the regurgitation which was not clear from the ECHO. It was not a big deal but it felt pretty weird, especially when they told me to swallow when they were pulling it out (was very counter intuitive). There was no pain...

My experience is similar. In my 20's I ran 5K's in the 15-16 minute range and I trained 60-70 miles per week. Over the next 30 years my 5K times decreased to around 20 minutes by my early 50's. The biggest difference being my increasing age and the corresponding decrease in maximum heart rate...

In regards to the original posted question about the increased risk for endocarditis following AVR/MVR, and in addition to Pellicle' reasoning, I would like to add that at least some of the risk is a result of the unnatural blood flow dynamics that are present following these surgeries. The...

Ditto.....

**** - Since my surgery I have had a very strong desire to share my story with other's facing OHS, mainly because I remember how scared and lonely I felt when I was going through it. It would have done me a world of good to have met someone that had been through it and could assure me that a...

Agian - I had a pre-existing heart murmur but my dentist never asked and I didn't know it was pertinent. Even so, the protocols currently in place do not advise antibiotic prophylaxis for people with heart murmurs. They say that the risk of antibiotic use is greater than the risk of getting...

I had emergency OHS (12 hours notice) with active endocarditis and implanted with a mechanical valve (and glad I was). There was no time to get rid of the infection ahead of time and I spent the next six weeks after OHS on IV antibiotics to kill the infection, which was the result of a teeth...

Jill, Following my mitral valve replacement with a mechanical valve in 2011 I was on Warfarin for about six months and was unable to stabilize my INR. One of my doctors, as well as my pharmacist, suggested that I try the name brand, Coumadin, as a last resort. Almost immediately my INR...

Hi Martin, Not too many mitral valve replacement folks on this site but I'm one of them like you, although I have a mechanical mitral valve, 5 years old next month. I too run quite a bit but slower and not as far, although I enjoy it much more now because it is special. In the event you end up...

I have almost daily protein shakes made with flaxseed milk with no noticeable effect on my INR. Blueberries are another story.......

Hi Hector - I have a mechanical mitral valve and compete frequently in 5K races. I monitor my heart rate constantly, more out of curiosity than anything else, because I don't follow my cardiologist's advice to keep my heart rate below 80 percent of max. Since I am 57 years old my maximum HR is...

In a beating heart the first sound you hear is the closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves and the second sound you hear is the closure of the aortic and pulmonary valves. That synchronization cannot be altered.

I guess I was one of the "exceedingly small number of cases" since I developed endocarditis from a teeth cleaning without the benefit of prophylaxis while having an existing heart murmur. Obviously I have serious problems with the latest AHA guidelines, which I blame for my near death...

It has been 4 years since my surgery and the bump is here to stay. It is obvious to me, and to my cardiologist, that it is where the wires are twisted together at the top. Plus I am thin chested, which makes it more pronounced. It doesn't bother me except when my cat steps on it while I am...

My surgeon strongly recommended a mechanical valve for me precisely because I was an active distance runner, which he believed would shorten the life of a tissue valve, even more so in the mitral position. My age (53 at the time) did not play much of a role in the decision making process. I...

Amen and Amen. Thanks for the posting and reminder, Pellicle. Those of us with replacement valves have been blessed with a second chance. Keeping that alway on my mind and endeavoring to be a better person is my life-long challenge and joy.

I have a TomTom Cardio Runner which measures the heart rate through the wrist and I have found it to be very accurate. I am an avid runner and have gotten much use and satisfaction from this watch, which I strongly endorse. It does many things, but monitoring my heart rate, following my...