Aortic Valve damage of red blood cells.

[Justmadi]

I suffer from anemia every 6-18 months, requiring transfusions. After many tests, it has been determined that my St. Jude Mechanical aortic valve damages my red blood cells. Has this happened to anyone else?

 

[LondonAndy]

Yes, my St Jude valve does too. It came as no surprise to my cardiologist: I am told it happens with some people, but I haven't needed transfusions. Instead I take iron supplements daily (Ferrous Fumerate 210mg twice per day).

 

[Eva]

Sorry to hear this. Here’s an article about hemolysis and mechanical valves!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5422110/#!po=80.7692

 

[pellicle]

After many tests, it has been determined that my St. Jude Mechanical aortic valve damages my red blood cells. Has this happened to anyone else?

Good points above. Happily it's easily treatable

 

[DachsieMom]

Me too, but I take iron a few times a week. I’m not sure if it’s from damaged red blood cells due to st Jude valve or the increased blood loss in my monthly cycle.

 

[thomas999]

I have had a St. Jude aortic valve since 1987,going on 32 years and haven't had any problems. I have played sports, and been very active. They have noticed that the count is lower than normal, but never hinted about a transfusion.

 

[dornole]

My cardiologist said this could happen even just with my repaired but still scarred and sketchy valve, due to turbulence in the flow. Since I had an endometrial ablation to get rid of that source of blood loss, however, counts have been fine.

 

[harrietW]

I suffer from anemia every 6-18 months, requiring transfusions. After many tests, it has been determined that my St. Jude Mechanical aortic valve damages my red blood cells. Has this happened to anyone else?

I also suffer from anemia .. Although it is not. St jude valve but mechanical no less.
I had ohs aortic valve replacement in January/2016. The first 6 mth post op l received roughly 30 transfusions. We are at 3.4 yrs and l have received I've 130 transfusion s easily.
So transfusion dependent .. My bleeds they called Angiodispla through the entire GI system requires alot if scopes either end to cauterize to stop the bleeding which it never does to be honest. So I have refused scopes for the past six or eight months. In the past 30 days alone I've had nine transfusions. The bleeds are exasperated by the warfarin and no rhyme or reason to the start and stop of them. My hg frequently drops to 40 or 50 but hovers around 80 most often making my life Hell.
Our solutions were to replace with bovine this past January but was cancelled due to an attack on Oct thru Jan on my immune system which caused a lot of neurological type symptoms which has yet to be diagnosed. Antibodies due to transfusions. Remember our DNA changes every time we are transfued.
I have never really recovered from my surgery in 2016

Hope you get some resolution.

 

[vitdoc]

Harriet,
I think you need a second opinion.

 

[harrietW]

Thank you vitdoc
I believe l may have misunderstood this post or took it out of context. As to the actual valve causing the damage to red blood cells.
Mine is a completely different matter.
I have had 4 second opinions 3 agree to redo replace mechanical with bovine. One disagrees .. This redo surgery was scheduled for This past Jan but l took very ill for the 2.5 mths prior. We had to cancel so l continue to be transfusion dependent until sure time l am well enough to reschedule.

 

[bluefields409]

Let me put my glass of ice down (pica party anyone?) and jump aboard as anemia has long been my nemesis. Although no mechanical here as I have a bovine beauty, could it be that calcified "teeth" are chomping down as corpuscles cascade by ?? Anyone else have anemia issues elated to tissue valve or I am off the mark?
Had consult yesterday and as heart/system cannot handle transfusion atm , I duly signed the consents to start iron IV infusions as soon as can be arranged. Hope will be part of the answer and recharge my batteries and send this insidious fatigue packing.

My loving husband said if I had been around with my ice crushing cravings, no icebergs would have been able to cause any risk to any ship.

sigh....

 

[carolinemc]

Me too, but I take iron a few times a week. I’m not sure if it’s from damaged red blood cells due to st Jude valve or the increased blood loss in my monthly cycle.

If you are still having cylces, get on some kind of birth control. I was on injection of depo, then the depo generic. I am now in the change. I was on depo for excessive bleeding I experienced and to prevent anemia. I was having more problems not from the valve, from the coumadin(warafrin).

 

[carolinemc]

To everyone saying your St. Judes' valve causes anemia, think again. If you are on Coumadin(warafarin), it will cause you to have anemia, not the valve itself. Please talk to your cardio and he/she can explain how the anemia happens to WOMEN. I was on Depo for more than 10 years after surgery and am not on it anymore since I am going through the change. Please talk to your cardio and gyno.

 

[Protimenow]

I've been on warfarin for 27 years. I don't recall any mention of anemia in my blood. The valve may damage some blood cells - and without warfarin, may form a clot around it - but that's the reason we take warfarin. I doubt that valves can cause enough damage to blood cells to cause anemia. I don't think warfarin has a relation to anemia, either - but I haven't researched this.

 

[LondonAndy]

To everyone saying your St. Judes' valve causes anemia, think again. If you are on Coumadin(warafarin), it will cause you to have anemia, not the valve itself. Please talk to your cardio and he/she can explain how the anemia happens to WOMEN. I was on Depo for more than 10 years after surgery and am not on it anymore since I am going through the change. Please talk to your cardio and gyno.

I can't speak for women, but my Cardiologist put down my anaemia to physical damage of the red blood cells by the closing action of the valve. "It happens with some people". I think he called it "Normocytic-Normochromic anaemia"

 

[pellicle]

To everyone saying your St. Judes' valve causes anemia, think again. If you are on Coumadin(warafarin), it will cause you to have anemia, not the valve itself

actually no, its well understood that the mechanical valves can contribut to anemia, but warfarin only contributes if excess bleeding (and I hope @harrietW is well)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC482414/

Two cases are described in which severe mechanical haemolytic anaemia developed shortly after operation​

and
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/clc.4960210604

Summary: The primary mechanism and most common cause of hemolytic disease in patients with prosthetic heart valves are mechanical trauma to red blood cells and paraprosthetic valvular regurgitation, respectively ...​

Presenting features in patients with this condition include anemia, congestive heart failure, latigue, jaundice, dark urine, and a regurgitant murmur.​

note words primary and most common note absence of warfarin. If you read further into that article, it mentions later the specifics of ACTherapy:

Hemorrhage, which may be related to anticoagulant therapy, may increase the need for erythrocyte production even further. The anemia per se may also accelerate the hemolysis since it would lead to both decreased blood viscosity and increased cardiac output, and both these factors increase turbulence of flow through the valve prosthesis.’​

 

[carolinemc]

actually no, its well understood that the mechanical valves can contribut to anemia, but warfarin only contributes if excess bleeding (and I hope @harrietW is well)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC482414/

Two cases are described in which severe mechanical haemolytic anaemia developed shortly after operation​

and
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/clc.4960210604

Summary: The primary mechanism and most common cause of hemolytic disease in patients with prosthetic heart valves are mechanical trauma to red blood cells and paraprosthetic valvular regurgitation, respectively ...​

Presenting features in patients with this condition include anemia, congestive heart failure, latigue, jaundice, dark urine, and a regurgitant murmur.​

note words primary and most common note absence of warfarin. If you read further into that article, it mentions later the specifics of ACTherapy:

Hemorrhage, which may be related to anticoagulant therapy, may increase the need for erythrocyte production even further. The anemia per se may also accelerate the hemolysis since it would lead to both decreased blood viscosity and increased cardiac output, and both these factors increase turbulence of flow through the valve prosthesis.’​

And don't forget about the young women who are still have the monthly, they have to be careful, due to the fact of the clotting issues can cause anemia. And I never read up on unreliable sources for information. For they can be out of date and unreliable.

 

[pellicle]

And don't forget about the young women who are still have the monthly, they have to be careful, due to the fact of the clotting issues can cause anemia. And I never read up on unreliable sources for information. For they can be out of date and unreliable.

I know ... but there are younger women out there who have had mechanicals (and had babies) who didn't suffer this.

Sometimes life is shlt ... I can honestly say that life has dealt me up a few shlt sandwiches. Life isn't fair (fair is a human notion), but perhaps what's evened up the unfairness is that unlike my parents age you and I can have heart surgery and remain living longer (should you choose that).

I once read that "there is no cure for heart valve disease, we only exchange it for prosthetic valve disease"; which unlike heart valve disease is not fatal and can be managed. There are two major pathways for picking prosthetic valve disease: mechanical or tissue; one is managed largely by juggling drugs, the other by follow up surgery. You pays your money and you takes your choice. (which is why I am here : to help people understand those choices)

Myself I've been lucky, I've had three heart operations (greedy ******* aren't I) and through all that never had any horror outcomes (although it was close), I've avoided many of the surgically caused issues (like a nipped AV nerve cluster) or the MSR infection which plagued a friend of mine (full post surgical dehiscence revealing his lungs at the dinner table before his wife and kids).

In contrast to some I know I think most of us (yes, us here) are quite lucky and should be bloody happy about the "ace up our sleeve" science and medicine has given us.

 

[Justmadi]

Thanks for all the input! My anemia, as noted earlier, is not from Warfarin use or bleeding from anticoagulation and , although a pain in the butt at times, it’s manageable. I’ve learned to watch for the symptoms and get in for blood counts and a transfusion. I doctor with a cardiologist, my primary and a Hematologist . I’m on iron supplements and folic acid which does help. Another thing that helps is a consistent regimen at the gym. It helps me be aware when something isn’t quite right! We are, after all, our own best advocate.

 

[carolinemc]

I know ... but there are younger women out there who have had mechanicals (and had babies) who didn't suffer this.

Sometimes life is shlt ... I can honestly say that life has dealt me up a few shlt sandwiches. Life isn't fair (fair is a human notion), but perhaps what's evened up the unfairness is that unlike my parents age you and I can have heart surgery and remain living longer (should you choose that).

I once read that "there is no cure for heart valve disease, we only exchange it for prosthetic valve disease"; which unlike heart valve disease is not fatal and can be managed. There are two major pathways for picking prosthetic valve disease: mechanical or tissue; one is managed largely by juggling drugs, the other by follow up surgery. You pays your money and you takes your choice. (which is why I am here : to help people understand those choices)

Myself I've been lucky, I've had three heart operations (greedy ******* aren't I) and through all that never had any horror outcomes (although it was close), I've avoided many of the surgically caused issues (like a nipped AV nerve cluster) or the MSR infection which plagued a friend of mine (full post surgical dehiscence revealing his lungs at the dinner table before his wife and kids).

In contrast to some I know I think most of us (yes, us here) are quite lucky and should be bloody happy about the "ace up our sleeve" science and medicine has given us.

Men do not know this cause they do not go through the monthly. Many women on warafarin(coumadin) do become anemic from taking the blood thinner cause of the clotting gets bad and a woman can become anemic from losing more blood during the monthly. I was one who had heavy blood loss every month, only got worse when got on Warafarin. So they put me on birth control shots to control the bleeds. Before the shots, I was beeding badly, since I could not clot with the blood thinner and blood would be everywhere, on the bed and clothes. I am a female and not going through the change, so I am experienced in the mess of not clotting on blood thinners without birth control. You are lucky to be a man and not have had this experience, but never say that a young woman on blood thinners do not experience what I did, cause they are out there. It is not something you brag about, but I had to educated you, woman to a man. So now you are educated on the woman side of using blood thinners during monthly. Have a great day and have a great weekend.