Carbomedics shout out

[charly]

Looking for all ya'll with Carbomedics valves.

I am really happy with mine, so I don't understand so few surgeons offer them as an option for their patients.

The stats on thrombosis, etc., seem to be better than the St. Jude.

Hope to hear from ya!

Charly

 

[Philip]

I am the proud owner of a Carbomedics aortic valve not yet 4 months old. I put a lot of thought into the tissue vs mechanical decision but put my trust in the surgeon to choose which mechanical valve to use. The Carbomedics was his choice for me; although we discussed effective valve area and thrombosis I am not sure why he recommended this valve. I was so relived at that point to know that the waiting was soon to be over I would have agreed to a Home Depot valve. I am very pleased with his decision and feel great.
Philip

 

[charly]

hi Philip

hi Philip

Is your valve pretty quiet?

c

 

[Philip]

My valve is very audible to me. I hear it at all quite times and sometimes in louder environments such as driving. Except when very still it sounds like a soft click similar to that of a clock. At other times it is very distinct, crisp and clear to me but mostly unnoticeable to others. My wife hears it frequently but it does not bother either of us. The only time it has annoyed me was once sleeping in a room with a ticking clock; this would have been OK if the clock and I both were at 60 clicks per minuet. I wrote in a reply to a post on another thread today that only two others have noticed but my revised total may now be three. I was in a Boy Scout meeting this afternoon in a small conference room and someone asked "what is that ticking sound" before I could reply she decided it was the AC diffuser. I let it go at that and am not sure if she was hearing me or if it really was the AC.

 

[charly]

weird question, but...

weird question, but...

Do you mind if I ask how much you weigh? I'm starting to wonder is body weight mutes the click. I'm not really heavy, but I could stand to lose a few..

 

[Natanni]

My husband's Carbomedics is very quiet. I can ony hear it now when I put my head on his chest or back. He has a big chest, his surgeon told us he had a heck of a time getting him 'pulled back togther' His click has become more quiet as time went on. He chose the Carbomedics because the surgeon prefered this valve, although he would have been happy to use a St Jude.

 

[Gail in Ca]

Carbomedic tic tic tic

Carbomedic tic tic tic

I have had mine since '00. I found it very loud for over a year, but I am a musician, so maybe I was more sensitive to the noise of it. I am also on the thin side. I often hear it, especially at night in bed, but it no longer keeps me awake. Unless.. my beat becomes irregular, then I perk up and pay attention until it mellows out.
Gail

 

[charly]

I'm a musician, too, and the doctors just wouldn't sympathize with my concerns about the noise! However, this one has been super quiet so far.. the pitch of the click is higher, and a bit more, dare I say, musical????

More like a very small, old fashioned wind-up watch. I know what you mean about the irregular heartbeats. Sometimes you hear them, and it's a tiny bit unnerving. But, according to my cardiologist, many people with valve disease have a less "regular" heartbeat. After surgery, of course, it takes a while to for the heart to settle back in.

According to a what I've read about these valves, they have a lower rate of clotting than the St.Jude, and no incidence of failure. My big question is why are they not used as much as the St. Jude valve?

If anyone knows, please pass that on.

 

[Philip]

OK Charly I will post my weight for the world to see. I am 175 pounds on my way to 165 max, 160 ideal. I am 5'10" so I am currently a bit heavy for someone who thinks of themselves as a runner.
Philip

 

[charly]

Don't be absurd!!! That's only a few pounds off. You're doing a lot better than I!

Maybe I shouldn't have made my crackpot theory public... that is, that larger folks have quieter valves.

I'm trying to lose weight also... let's see if our valves get louder as we get smaller...

(hope not!! )

 

[John & Joann]

2 Carbomedics valves here. We both feel that they are an excellent product. Cleveland Clinic made the decision and we agree with their recommendations. Original equipment in 1971 was Starr Edwards also made by Carbomedics. They lasted 28 years, but were VERY LOUD!

Stiching failed on the original vales that required immediate replacement.

 

[charly]

Wow... do I understand correctly that both of you have Carbomedics valves?

Also, when you say the stitching failed on your previous mechanical valve: Is that something that happens over time, and should any person with a mechanical valve expect that? Or was it just that older model?

best,
Charly

 

[John & Joann]

Joann has the 2 valves. I have the computer!!!!

 

[Jan]

I have a Carbomedic Valve, I can hear it when the room is very quiet ( usually when I am in bed) but it does not bother me in fact I find it comforting

keep smiling

Jan

 

[perkicar]

I have the tophat valve which allowed the doctor to give me a larger valve with less enlarging of my aortic root. If you look at the carbomedics website you can see it actually sits higher in the root. You can definitely hear it when the room is quiet, and I hear it at night--the other night I had an upset tummy when i went to bed and my rate was higher than normal--I was ticking away! I know that's what Dr Lytle said he was going to use when I had my visit with him pre-surgery.

 

[Lynette]

I also have a carbomedic, and I can hear it when it is quiet. Sounds different, depending on my position...sometimes it sounds like it is in my throat, as though it is echoing internally. Other times it sounds like I'm hearing it through my ears, like any other sound. No one else has ever been able to hear mine. One of the first questions I asked my squeamish sister when I woke up after surgery was to lean close and tell me if she could hear it click. She looked at my bloody dressing, and told me that was what nurses' had stethoscopes for.

 

[charly]

I also have a carbomedic, and I can hear it when it is quiet. Sounds different, depending on my position...sometimes it sounds like it is in my throat, as though it is echoing internally. Other times it sounds like I'm hearing it through my ears, like any other sound. No one else has ever been able to hear mine. One of the first questions I asked my squeamish sister when I woke up after surgery was to lean close and tell me if she could hear it click. She looked at my bloody dressing, and told me that was what nurses' had stethoscopes for.

HA!!! Heart surgery is not for wimps!!!

I know what you mean about the sounds being different depending on your body position. Glad to hear it's not just me experiencing that!!

 

[charly]

I have the tophat valve which allowed the doctor to give me a larger valve with less enlarging of my aortic root. If you look at the carbomedics website you can see it actually sits higher in the root. You can definitely hear it when the room is quiet, and I hear it at night--the other night I had an upset tummy when i went to bed and my rate was higher than normal--I was ticking away! I know that's what Dr Lytle said he was going to use when I had my visit with him pre-surgery.

I need to read up on the tophat valve....

 

[charly]

I have a Carbomedic Valve, I can hear it when the room is very quiet ( usually when I am in bed) but it does not bother me in fact I find it comforting

keep smiling

Jan

Me too.

 

[charly]

Joann has the 2 valves. I have the computer!!!!

Oh, darn!!! I was hoping to hear that you each received Carbomedics valves at the same hospital, and fell in love on the way out of the ICU!!