after mechanical heart valve op

[Guest]

hi quick question my mother had her mechanical heart valve op 3 years ago does the heart return to normal heart function after the op has shes still on heart meds.or are the heart meds a normal procedure thanks

 

[Tez23]

Speaking from a personal point of view, mine functioned perfectly post-op. No reason why it shouldn't be as good as any normal one. Obviously it'll click now and the beat is probably more noticeable. With regard to mess, if that's anticoagulants, then yes that's a life time thing unless technology and pharmaceutical development change things. Small price to pay in the grand scheme of things ;-)

 

[pellicle]

Hi

hi quick question my mother had her mechanical heart valve op 3 years ago does the heart return to normal heart function after the op has shes still on heart meds.or are the heart meds a normal procedure thanks

mine has, but its possible that it may not. There are possibilities of damage to nerves in the surgery. This is not related to tissue prosthesis or mechanical prosthesis, but just how the surgery goes

How old is your mother?

 

[Superman]

hi quick question my mother had her mechanical heart valve op 3 years ago does the heart return to normal heart function after the op has shes still on heart meds.or are the heart meds a normal procedure thanks

What do you mean by "heart meds"? If you are referring to Warfarin / Coumadin - then yes. With a mechanical heart valve she will always be on warfarin. Some people who have had open heart surgery end up with rhythm issues and may have to take a beta-blocker (metoprolol) for that. Some surgeons like to require a daily aspirin regimen as well. The only certain heart med with a mechanical valve is warfarin.

 

[epstns]

Pellicle and Superman have covered most of it. Each of us heals differently, and some of us have lasting effects from heart surgery. I am almost 5 years out from valve replacement and I still take several medications to help regulate my blood pressure and heart rhythm. I also have a pacemaker, as I suffered some nerve damage as a result of surgery. Other than that, my hears has generally returned to its pre-surgery condition (probably like what it was several years before it got bad enough to warrant surgery).

Does all this affect my life? Only in a minor way. I am back to everything I did before the surgery, and then some. Taking the meds is just one more thing to remember, and to remember to get prescription refills when needed. The pacemaker is only a couple of added doctor visits a year (until time to replace it). Other than that, I have no restrictions on my life that were caused by my valve replacement. Had I received a mechanical valve, there would be added considerations regarding warfarin therapy (anti-coagulation), but that generally is not a life-restricting medication. When it comes to warfarin, Pellicle, Dick0236 and many others can fill you in on what can usually be expected.