Family History and Valve Selection....

[Jkm7]

How much did your family history of cancer, dementia, alheizmers, CAD, Type II Diabetes and the like influence your choice of valve?

Were you more apt to choose mechanical if your family history is that of long life with little illlness until 'final illness'?

Were you more apt to choose tissue valve with family history in mind that most in your family don't live to healthy ripe old age?

Do you think it was a deep, almost subconcious influence or was it front and center along with coumadin and clicking considerations?

This really interests me and sorry if some find it 'distasteful'. I don't mean to offend anyone but I wonder if it is a real factor in people's choices.

 

[Bill B]

My surgeon thinks co-morbidity and family history are factors and I came to accept that after a lot of reading. It influenced my decision MUCH more than coumadin issues or clicking.

 

[Jkm7]

It influenced my decision AS MUCH as clicking and coumadin. Was definitely a factor I considered very seriously though neither my surgeon nor cardio mentioned it.

 

[olefin]

I'd never heard of a clicking valve... there was no VRF back when I had AVR.

My surgeon never mention anything about clicking. First time I heard my valve I thought the clicking was pretty cool. Myself, I can't understand why the clicking bothers some people. I miss mine for as the years have passed I seldom hear it anymore. Those people should experience Tinnitus... it's a heck of a lot worse than a little click! And it never stops!

He didn't especially like my history of a bleeding duodenal ulcer but he also said he didn't like using a pig valve on a 56 year old. So he said the valve for me would be mechanical, my cardiologist had already told me the same thing. I met my surgeon the day before surgery. But I'd know my cardiologist for over ten years and I fully trusted him.

He said I'd be on coumadin the rest of my life but I didn't give that much though for my wife had been on coumadin due to blood clots and it was no problem for her.

 

[Philip B]

History

History

Family history played on part in my decision making process at all.

The issue that I focused upon was the track record of mechanical valves outlasting the tissue variety. I was willing to take the chance that the probability of needing AVR surgery a second time would be reduced with the implantation of a mechanical valve. This said, please keep in mind, nothing is a sure thing with valve replacement surgery.

I've never worried much about my family's history of medical ailments.

-Philip

 

[Jkm7]

Maybe you are fortunate to have 'good genes'.

Some of us have extensive family histories and for that reason, cannot ignore them. I have a number of very close relatives who died natural deaths prior to their 50th birthdays. That is something someone with my family history thinks about.

If the chances of my living to 80 aren't very high to begin with........

 

[Marcia58]

Mine was a repair, but of course my surgeon and I discussed "Plan B" in case the repair was a no-go.

I was only 50 at the time of my surgery. Both my grandmas live into their 90s, one grandpa died at 100, and the other grandpa "died young" at 83. So that was a factor.

My personal medical history, though, carried greater weight than family history. I have Parkinson's, and my surgeon didn't like the idea of the combo of coumadin and the progressively increasing risk of falling.

My Plan B was a tissue valve.

 

[Rich]

It made no difference to me at all.
I have already lived longer than my parents and grandparents.
The thought of a second heart surgery was the biggest influence.
As mentioned there are no guarentees but hopefully the odds are in my favor.
Coumadin can be a pain sometime but no big deal. Clicking? What clicking. After well over thirteen years I'm still waiting to hear it.
Rich

 

[DebbyA]

Most people on both sides of my family have lived into their 80's, so I was sure the surgeon would recommend mechanical, but all my doctors advised tissue. I decided to follow their advice for other considerations, so basically it didn't influence my choice.

 

[dsouter]

My brother has Collitis, my sister Crohns, me mainly just the heart but occasional irritable bowel. With a family history of internal bleeding,I wasn't going to risk coumadin yet.
That will wait till 2nd or 3rd re-operation when risks go up.
Until then , I think i will continue with Tissue valves despite surgery every 10-15 years.

 

[AgilityDog]

Many of my family have lived into their 80s, except my dad (stroke post surgery with a-fib), my baby sister (leukemia), and half-sister (morbid obesity, and lots of other issues). I was 47 at the time of surgery. I didn't want a re-op, and immediately knew I wanted mechanical, coumadin notwithstanding.

Although, it felt funny that I might not have to worry about outliving my savings anymore....