Edwards tissue valve knocks :(

[thehoffr]

Excellent YouTube presentation for bicuspid valve patients, after my surgery however my bovine valve knocks with every beat.. does anyone else experience this? I've asked this question once before, never felt satisfied.. mine is an Edwards valve and I cannot sleep and feels constantly like it's gonna blowout. I would have preferred to not have had the surgery than this torture

 

[nobog]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. How long since your surgery? Most valves get quieter and "settle down" after tissue ingrowth into the cuff. Don't worry, your valve will not "blowout". They are designed to operate at much higher pressures than your body will produce. I assume you are monitoring your blood pressure.

I hope you can get some answers, sounds very frustrating.

 

[Astro]

.. mine is an Edwards valve and I cannot sleep and feels constantly like it's gonna blowout. I would have preferred to not have had the surgery than this torture

That sounds distressing. Is it the sound or are you feeling a knocking sensation or something else?

 

[pellicle]

E...my bovine valve knocks with every beat.. does anyone else experience this?

yes, with my mechanical. I don't hear it "tick" (everyone else does) but I feel a deep thud with every beat. I understand its a combination of the scar tissue of previous surgeries (making for a better acoustic coupling) and the solidity of the graft (it doesn't mush the sound like a regular rising aorta).

I just live with it. I made a conscious choice to accept it right from the start (like more or less as soon as I was back on the ward). I can't say if its got better, but I don't focus on it.

Even if someone said "we can fix that" I'd rather not have my 4th OHS ... if you know what I mean.

 

[Brokenhip]

I have exactly the same 27mm valve, the beat could be described as solid but not what I would call knocking. I can count my heart rate by just remaining still and feeling each beat in my chest. I do not find it in any way a problem, in some ways quite comforting. Currently 21 months post op and the beat has been the same throughout the whole period.
Hoping you can come to grips with it.

 

[Penny2003]

Don’t know how this compares, but in 2003 my aortic valve was replaced with Medtronic Mosiac Porcine Valve. Sleeping position was a factor I am sure because when I would lay on my left side it just pounded into my ears and was very disconcerting. It did go away after a few months. Hope you can get relief.

 

[OldManEmu]

In 2004 I had an AVR with a 29mm Medtronic Mosiac Porcine Valve and I could feel a lot of what I would call pounding in the first 3-6 months after surgery but I put this down to my heart remodelling after having to work against a valve that was being destroyed for 8 months with endocarditis. After 6 months I couldn't feel anything out of the ordinary. I had a redo in 2011 with a 27mm Edwards bovine valve and an Aortic graft I felt some pounding in the first 4-6 weeks post surgery but I feel this was just associated with the trauma of my heart being operated on and man handled. I never feel my heart now unless it is because of intense physical activity which is normal for everyone.

 

[ginahmk]

Hi,
I also have tissue aortic valve, now almost 3years, 21 mm St. Jude trifecta, and I still get pounding depending upon the position. It is worse lying down on left side. On echo the valve is fine, so just got used to it.

 

[Protimenow]

In a different world, I can imagine a repeated 'moo' in people with a bovine valve, and an 'oink' for people with a porcine valve. If a person lived in 'this' world, they would probably prefer to hear a click, or hear the heart 'thump' for a while.
For me, my valve makes a click that I rarely hear - in this alternative universe that I just described, my St. Jude would probably make some kind of mechanical sound -- but I'm not going to speculate what THAT would sound like....

 

[almost_hectic]

I would think it’s less about your valve and more a factor of tough scar tissue and pericardium being opened or in many cases removed. Without the shock absorber effect of a natural pericardium I definitely experience both sound and a physical thump with every beat. Most of the time I’m able to ignore it. Sometimes late at night if I can’t sleep all I can hear is my valve clicking and it’s truly annoying. In those times I’ll turn on some quiet music to distract myself. Or some white noise is a good alternative too.

 

[tom in MO]

...I would have preferred to not have had the surgery than this torture

Sounds to me like you are getting desperate. Don't forget w/o the surgery, you wouldn't be here.

Have you tried music or some white noise? This could give you something else to focus your mind on.

Possibly you need some psychological help to aid in relaxing and and not focusing on the sound when going to sleep. I don't mean drugs. I was trained in therapeutic relaxation techniques and found it helpful in getting to sleep. Now I use a CPAP, and the sound of the machine is like the footsteps of the dog-feeder was to Pavlov's dog.

 

[Protimenow]

My TV has a timer, so it can automatically shut off. I sometimes turn it on, drape a black shirt over my eyes, put the volume low, and it usually lulls me to sleep. Changing your focus can help. Listening to something else (other than the valve) should also help.

 

[dornole]

This is good info to have because we often get people on here where valve noise is a major factor in their decision. Good (if disappointing) to know that all replacement valves can make sounds that you have to get used to.

 

[tom in MO]

This is good info to have because we often get people on here where valve noise is a major factor in their decision. Good (if disappointing) to know that all replacement valves can make sounds that you have to get used to.

Not "all replacement valves." I heard my valve a more at the beginning, but rarely now. The ticking pretty much dissipated within the 1st year. I never found it annoying or constant.

 

[almost_hectic]

Yes to more noise in the first year for sure. Interestingly I found out that pericardium can grow back! Maybe not as it was, but a ct scan showed my surgeon that that cavity that was previously were my aneurysm grew, was now the home of my new valve and graft, encased in tissue that had grown over it. I was fascinated to hear this.

 

[almost_hectic]

I took time for me to get used to hearing my soft tick, tick, tick. It’s not often that I focus on it. I’ve learned to mostly ignore it. I used to wonder if I went to a psychologist or something, could they hypnotize me and make me believe I could no longer hear my heartbeat. Doesn’t seem crazy to think maybe they could... does it?

 

[Agian]

I think hypnosis could help you not notice it.

 

[Ladybug]

That sounds like a great idea. Worth a try.

 

[KSS]

Excellent YouTube presentation for bicuspid valve patients, after my surgery however my bovine valve knocks with every beat.. does anyone else experience this? I've asked this question once before, never felt satisfied.. mine is an Edwards valve and I cannot sleep and feels constantly like it's gonna blowout. I would have preferred to not have had the surgery than this
So sorry to hear that about the valve! If I may ask, which model of the Edwards valve is it?

 

[Brokenhip]

I believe if you check the OP’s bio it is a 27mm 3300 TFX