Aortic Valve Choices

[newarrior]

"Superman said:
I know I wouldn’t try to manage a 1.5 - 2.0 INR. A 0.5 window is tight to fit in and I’m far more afraid of potentially having a clot and a stroke than I am of cutting myself shaving." Well stated-brilliant post-thank you !

 

[newarrior]

All this information related to the noise of the valve scares me yet reminds me of my tinnitus which I have had for 24 years from too many concerts..It's a permanent noise, perceived in my head from damage to my cilia/nerves/inner ear/inner ear hair cells. They have a thing called Tinnitus Retraining therapy where your brain is trained to ignore the tinnitus and treat it as a non threatening sound..Regardless trying to ignore both tinnitus and a mechanical valve scares me/sounds like a herculean task..Corrrect--white--pink noise is better and I always keep white and pink noise in the background at home as well as keeping my door open to the outside noise in lovely noisy Bangkok

 

[MdaPA]

I know I wouldn’t try to manage a 1.5 - 2.0 INR. A 0.5 window is tight to fit in

Why not then make the target 2.0 (with range 1.5 - 2.5)? i.e. no harm going over 2.0, right?

 

[TomD]

After 13 years with my mechanical valve I can say that the sound completely disappeared after about one year. The actual sound is still there but I no longer hear it because my body has gotten so used to it.

 

[Unicusp]

On-X. Mainly for the promise of no ticking quietness and lower Coumadin/warfarin needed. This is confirmed vs other mechanical valves ? Less/no noise and less thinner needed ? Seems like everyone would go with On-X then ?

I can hear mine! But not a ticking noise. Deeper resonance. Especially when inhaling. More like a thrump or thud.

 

[Superman]

Why not then make the target 2.0 (with range 1.5 - 2.5)? i.e. no harm going over 2.0, right?

I’d shoot for 2-3 or 2.5-3.5 like I do now. That’s what I was saying. I’d be fine with the valve, but not with the range their marketing it touting.

 

[user 15848]

On-X was designed by some of the people that Designed the St Jude Valve, and On-X valve is the ONLY mech valve that the leaves open at 90 degrees... and THAT is the main tech improvement, according to Surgeon #2 in Canada, see image attached. As per INR, they say 1.5-2, and probably works, but i keep mine at 2 --- 2.5 to have long range for variations. Mechanical Valves are TECHNOLOGICAL events, and to deny that Techonology some times improves with years would not be exact, that said, SEE what YOUR Surgeon tells you, MY Surgeon told me "The ONLY mechanical Valve HE uses is On-X".....

 

[ATHENS1964]

And my livanova 1.5 to 2 says. The cardiologist and the surgeon told me that they want it to be above 2.5 and up to 3 so that I have a margin if it falls not to go below 2 . So if we are at a price 2-3 I am calm.

 

[newarrior]

I can hear mine! But not a ticking noise. Deeper resonance. Especially when inhaling. More like a thrump or thud.

Jesus how is that ?

 

[Unicusp]

Jesus how is that ?

Sorry my comment may be misunderstood. What I mean is that i can hear it, when in a quiet place, when relaxed and breathing normally, I can hear it slightly. But, it is not like a watch ticking or a treble tone. Has more bass to it.

 

[Unicusp]

I’d shoot for 2-3 or 2.5-3.5 like I do now. That’s what I was saying. I’d be fine with the valve, but not with the range their marketing it touting.

Agreed. That's what I'm doing. Benefit risk ratio does not favor lower INR.

 

[newarrior]

Sorry my comment may be misunderstood. What I mean is that i can hear it, when in a quiet place, when relaxed and breathing normally, I can hear it slightly. But, it is not like a watch ticking or a treble tone. Has more bass to it.

Ok thanks..Like I said I got bad tinnitus since 1996 ..Don't know if that would allow me to adapt easier to the sounds of an AV

 

[Chuck C]

Sorry my comment may be misunderstood. What I mean is that i can hear it, when in a quiet place, when relaxed and breathing normally, I can hear it slightly. But, it is not like a watch ticking or a treble tone. Has more bass to it.

My experience is exactly the same. As we have discussed, to me it sounds like a thud- like a normal heart beat just louder. Interesting that when others listen to my chest they hear it as a click. But, they have to put their ear right on my chest to hear it. No one has been able to hear mine just sitting next to me.
I was kind of bummed about that, because I love those stories about how people wonder where the ticking is coming from, especially the bomb scare story.
And, I am starting to not hear mine any more. It is quiet right now and I was completely unaware of any beating. But, I stopped and listened for it- yup, it is there, especially on deep breaths, but I am just tuning it out automatically now.

 

[tezza]

Funnily enough, I had to have a biological valve, and I can hear my heart beat very clearly, although others can't hear it, but they can see it, as I have a tiny little nod and pulsing of my body with each beat. Makes working out my heart rate very easy, lol, just have to sit there and count! I'm sure I will habituate to it, as you probably would with a mechanical valve, over time, unless you actually are thinking about it.

 

[newarrior]

Funnily enough, I had to have a biological valve, and I can hear my heart beat very clearly, although others can't hear it, but they can see it, as I have a tiny little nod and pulsing of my body with each beat. Makes working out my heart rate very easy, lol, just have to sit there and count! I'm sure I will habituate to it, as you probably would with a mechanical valve, over time, unless you actually are thinking about it.

Wow this does not scare you ?

 

[newarrior]

Tha

After 13 years with my mechanical valve I can say that the sound completely disappeared after about one year. The actual sound is still there but I no longer hear it because my body has gotten so used to it.

Thank you sir !

 

[tezza]

Wow this does not scare you ?

No, not particularly. I had the same issue with the previous valve. I am a very small person, and my cardiologist indicated that because I don't have any "padding", it is more noticeable. I think the hearing of the heart beat is actually hearing the pulse through the carotid arteries, which pass beside the inner ear, so I'm not surprised I hear it. Will be seeing my cardiologist next week for post surgery check, so will run it by him then.

 

[user 16827]

I have a tiny little nod and pulsing of my body with each beat.

same here. if i wear a hat with a brim it's exaggerated at the brim.

Post opp it was very visible, now its very subtle

 

[nobog]

On-X was designed by some of the people that Designed the St Jude Valve, and On-X valve is the ONLY mech valve that the leaves open at 90 degrees... and THAT is the main tech improvement, according to Surgeon #2 in Canada, see image attached. As per INR, they say 1.5-2, and probably works, but i keep mine at 2 --- 2.5 to have long range for variations. Mechanical Valves are TECHNOLOGICAL events, and to deny that Techonology some times improves with years would not be exact, that said, SEE what YOUR Surgeon tells you, MY Surgeon told me "The ONLY mechanical Valve HE uses is On-X".....

That is simply not true - although the leaflets CAN open to 90 deg - they don't, I believe Pellicile had a chart/study posted with actual opening angles (and through lab tests I can verify that also) that the Onx valve opens to approx 80 deg. There is no technical reason to make a valve open to 90 deg. Its simply a marketing boast with no relevancy.

 

[newarrior]

No, not particularly. I had the same issue with the previous valve. I am a very small person, and my cardiologist indicated that because I don't have any "padding", it is more noticeable. I think the hearing of the heart beat is actually hearing the pulse through the carotid arteries, which pass beside the inner ear, so I'm not surprised I hear it. Will be seeing my cardiologist next week for post surgery check, so will run it by him then.

Interesting you said the inner ear I've had ringing of the ears or tinnitus for 24 years too many clubs concerts playing guitar too loud headphones The Usual Suspects I'm not sure if that's going to make me more or or less adoptable to noises from a new heart valve. It doesn't sound good I don't see anything good about it I am used to keeping white and pink noise in the background all the time when I'm at home my hearing doctor always told me to avoid silence