Edwards SAPIEN transcatheter heart valve

[Hannes]

Going for the Ross!

Going for the Ross!

Hello all!

I met with the no.1 specialist on the Ross procedure here in Switzerland and had a chat with him. He recomended the procedure for me, saying that he´s not "a big fan" of the mech. valves in younger patients that want to do sports due to the pressure gradient in mech. valves. He said, I would have 120 mmHg when doing sports, while in my heart I would have a 160-240 mmHg, so I would loose quite some pressure on the way and my left ventricel muscels could grow even further, which apparently is not a good thing. I have an aortic root diameter of 26 mm and he said that below 25 mm, a mech. valve would not have a good relation of "construction area" to "opening area". But he also said that one couldn´t rely 100% in the meassurement until the heart is opened and that I it could be well below 25 mm in my case.
So, I´ll go for the ross, I guess. In late november.
Hopefully this constant tiredness and dizzyness will then go away.

I´ll keep you updated.


Hannes

 

[Woodbutcher]

Welcome Hannes. So, it looks like you'll not have to flick that coin after all, Ross procedure it is ?
I have an On-X and have never read anything about their effect on pressure gradients ?
You seem to be very well informed there in Switzerland ?
I'm sure the dizzyness and tiredness will be all sorted after your operation and I wish you well. Justin

 

[Lynlw]

Hello all!

I met with the no.1 specialist on the Ross procedure here in Switzerland and had a chat with him. He recomended the procedure for me, saying that he´s not "a big fan" of the mech. valves in younger patients that want to do sports due to the pressure gradient in mech. valves. He said, I would have 120 mmHg when doing sports, while in my heart I would have a 160-240 mmHg, so I would loose quite some pressure on the way and my left ventricel muscels could grow even further, which apparently is not a good thing. I have an aortic root diameter of 26 mm and he said that below 25 mm, a mech. valve would not have a good relation of "construction area" to "opening area". But he also said that one couldn´t rely 100% in the meassurement until the heart is opened and that I it could be well below 25 mm in my case.
So, I´ll go for the ross, I guess. In late november.
Hopefully this constant tiredness and dizzyness will then go away.

I´ll keep you updated.


Hannes

I'm curious what center you are going to. Justin's first surgeon, Norwood and ped card went to Switzerland for a few years by lake Geneva. I've heard alot of good things about what was being done there.

 

[Andy]

I had a mechanical valve put in when I was 33 and have been on coumadin ever since. Although I have avoided contact sports, I still led a pretty active life over the years. I will be 57 next month.

My primary care doctor said he would be against me home testing my coumadin, but I am meeting more and more people who home test.

 

[ChouDoufu]

any new news on the transcather valves? i have a few questions:

one of the posting says that when the new valve needs to be replaced,
another trans-c can be used. but what happens to the old one? if it's
been expanded into the artery wall, with little hooks that hold it in,
how do they get the thing out? or to they just remove the leaflets,
then leave the valve body in place?

i may have read somewhere that there are designs for a trans-c valve
with replaceable leaflets. so after 20 years or so, they can just
switch out the old leaflets, leaving the original body in place.
any news on when this will be available?

why would a younger person, sporty-type, want one of these? if it's
being inserted in-line, then the valve opening must be smaller than
a traditional valve, especially with the newer supra-anular designs.

 

[Lynlw]

any new news on the transcather valves? i have a few questions:

one of the posting says that when the new valve needs to be replaced,
another trans-c can be used. but what happens to the old one? if it's
been expanded into the artery wall, with little hooks that hold it in,
how do they get the thing out? or to they just remove the leaflets,
then leave the valve body in place?

i may have read somewhere that there are designs for a trans-c valve
with replaceable leaflets. so after 20 years or so, they can just
switch out the old leaflets, leaving the original body in place.
any news on when this will be available?

why would a younger person, sporty-type, want one of these? if it's
being inserted in-line, then the valve opening must be smaller than
a traditional valve, especially with the newer supra-anular designs.

The leafelts are basically built onto a stent and it pretty much works like a stent, that when you have to replace it you put a new one inside and expand the stents smushing the thin leafelets flat againts the walls. Kind of like how you can put a new stent inside an older one to open it wider now.

The opening is the same size or larger than a traditional valve, There isn't the thick ring like all the other valves are built on that the surgeons use to sew the valve in place. . The leaflets are attachted right to the stent. so when it is open basically the entire surface is the leaflets, not a ring that makes the opening narrower.

 

[Dustin]

Wish you all the best with this breakthrough treatment, though I'm a little surprised that they are willing to do this considering your age. Anyway, I hope you'll get the best option for you.

PS You don't need to worry about anti-coagulation. I take Marcoumar (i.e. Phenprocoumon) and do home testing every two weeks with the Coagucheck XS. The freedom I have is just terrific. My On-X is working perfectly and I have not changed my lifestyle, I do some running, cycling, you name it.

Good luck!

 

[Adam S.]

Trans Valve

Trans Valve

I have only been out of surgery for about 13 or 14 days but the Cardiologist that took part in the study was my Doc. at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland. He really took allot of time with me "more than the Nurses" He says that the transcatheter valve is about 5 years away in the US for approval. The valve life expectancy will never be great using current technology.

I do, wish my best to Hannes, making this decision is the perfect irony.