fitted with pacemaker 7 years ago now need aortic valve replacement! which should i g

[donna]

hi there ,i am 52 year old woman .living in Ireland.
.I had a pacemaker fitted 7 years ago for complete heart block.Its been fine although i found the recovery from the operation hard going.had dizzyness,tiredness etc.so now i need a aortic valve replacement and am finding it hard to decide which one to get.I find the idea of diet changes it i go for the mechanical valve difficult.I love love green tea,avacados,mangos and would use homeopathic remedies .i cant imagine not using them. it is hard to adjust to the idea of having such invasive surgery.Its hard to except that one has to make big changes and cant just continue to have the same life. bla bla bla
has anyone out there got a pacemaker and aortic valve replacement ?

 

[Ross]

Donna there is absolutely no reason why should have to give up green tea, avocados, mango's or any other foods on Coumadin. That is all nonsense. With Coumadin, you dose the diet that you eat, you do NOT diet the dose your on. All things can be adjusted for. Again, changing your diet for Coumadin is MYTH. Now your homeopathic remedies could potentially pose a problem, but most all them can be adjusted for also. A Mechanical valve gives you the best possible chance at never having another surgery of this magnitude. I'm for anything that keeps you from more reops. At your age, you could go tissue and hope that it lasts the rest of your life, but I think you'd have 1 or 2 more surgeries to look forward to in the future. There are no guarantees with either valve and you may even end up with a tissue valve and taking Coumadin anyhow, especially since you have a pacemaker.

All I can say is that you've heard a lot of myth and it needs to be put into perspective. Study up on the REALITIES of Coumadin by visiting the anticoagulation forum, then go have a look at what mechanical valvers are doing in the active lifestyles forum.

No one can make the choice for you, but we can educate you here. We've all been there and done that already. Some of us more then once.

 

[nngbwh]

Very well said Ross !!!!!!!. Welcome aboard Donna.

 

[Kathy McCain]

Hi Donna,

Glad you found us!

I was 56 when I had my AVR. I was at the age where I could have gone either way really as to valve selection, so that made my decision even more difficult. I made the choice for a tissue, along with my surgeon, and cardio. It is a very personal decision. My PERSONAL OPIION IS that tissue can be a very good option for people in their fifties, sixties and up.

Good luck to you, and don't hesitate to ask any other questions!

 

[neil]

hi donna, i was 52 when i had my op.i choose tissue for the very reason i didnt want to be on anti coags and nobody does unless there can help it, and am very happy with my choice,as with kathy that choice was made after input of cardio, surgeon, which ever you choose is sure better than the one you got now,yea its a blow to hear that news,but speaking as a BIG BABY it aint as bad as you think,HONEST

 

[Mentu]

Greetings, Donna, as Ross discussed, even with a tissue valve anticoagulation therapy can become necessary. Yes, Donna, it is a shock to most of us to learn that surgery is in our near future. For a few days, I found myself half expecting a call from my Cardiologist telling me it was all a mistake. But it did happen and it wasn't the awful experience that I expected. I think you, too, are likely to find that the anticipation is worse than the fact. Then there were the weeks of recovery at home. I think I will always remember that period as a wonderful time when I could feel myself growing stronger by the day and had a lot of time by myself for thinking and personal projects. Welcome to our community, Donna.

Larry

 

[Freddie]

Welcome Donna, Ross is very knowledgeable and respected around here.....no need to change your diet, you'll just need to adjust your dosage.

 

[irish46]

Hi Donna,
I am 62 yr old woman who had avr in October 2009. Replacement was bovine. I do not have pacemaker. I went with tissue for many reasons, hoping that if I did need it replaced there would be less invasive methods of doing the procedure. I have heard that there are places in Europe going thru femoral artery. When I spoke with my cardiologist about it he said that they are experimenting with it here in U.S., but has not been approved yet. Whatever you decide may God bless you and keep you safe. Irish46

 

[dtread]

I had heart block five days after my AVR. So they implanted a pacemaker, which resolved that problem. The only trouble is I can't get rid of the pacemaker. The pacemaker implantation was a piece of cake compared to the AVR. The pacemaker scar and the pacemaker itself irritates me more than the sternotomy scar did (once they healed up). My suggestion would be to try to avoid subsequent sessions of slice and dice, if you know what I mean. In my case I know that the surgery came close to killing me. I'd hate to have it hanging over my head that in 10 - 15 years or so I'd have to go through that again. The Coumadin is a non-issue for me. Just a pill I have to pop once a day. No big deal.

 

[irel]

Hi Donna and welcome
I can't really help with your questions, however I am scheduled for a valve replacement and a double bypass on Mar 29th. I am going with a tissue valve as I am 68 years old and expect that this valve will outlast me. I am not keen on the open heart surgery but since stents were not an option to open up my two blocked arteries I am going for the bypass surgery. I have moderate aortic sentosis, so while I am opened up, the valve will be replaced. I was not interested in a mechanical valve as I did not want to be on anti-coagulants and regular blood testing. I am looking at this surgery as an opportunity at a new lifestyle. Best of luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Luana]

Hi Donna,
Before I really even knew much about the difference between tissue and mechanical valves, my surgeon had suggested a mechanical because of my age to prevent additional surgeries.

I love all vegetables and am not about to give them up, and haven't since surgery. I've found the medication not to be a problem.

Luana

 

[Gail in Ca]

Yes, I agree that valve choice is personal, however, I must add that one must look at family longevity. I got a mechanical at 54, and my surgeon was really wanting to use mechanical for me, especially when I told him my Mom was 92!!!( my Dad lived to be 86). Let's face it, I could have been facing up to 3 more surgeries, and I was on number 3 as it was.

 

[donna]

Hi there,thank you so much for all the replies it took me until now to figure out how to find the replies ! yea ,i know ,am not the best on computors..but learning and think this site is fantastic!
I met with my surgeon for the first time yesterday.he gave me two weeks to think about my choice and i think he is expecting me to come back with "his choice" which is for a mechanical valve.
I is so difficult to make a choice.the 30 year flag flying over the mechanical valve is very attractive but the thought of the restrictions and side effects.at the moment the only tablet .i take a low dose blood P tablet (tritace 1.25 mg) in my mind i see a life on Warfarin as possible headaches,dizzy,tummy problems,...and it would be pretty crap if i did go with the tissue valve and end up on warfarin anyway ?
my wish list would be tissue valve with no new medications added to my list to take,cups of green tea every morning and evening,avacados and asparagus and the help of wonderful homeopathic arnica when i need it for life bumps..sorry, i know this is a bit of an irish ramble..where i live in Cork,ireland there is just one choice of hospital and 3 surgeons and no choice of which one you get.I do think the surgeon i have is very good ...but ...
many many thanks again
DONNA

 

[karen14]

Welcome Donna! I chose the mechanical valve, with no problems with diet or Coumadin afterwards.
Best wishes for you in whatever you decide, ~Karen
P.S. Let us know what & how you're doing if you will! Thanks!

 

[donna]

ok so i have been saying "I dont really have symptoms except that i am tired" but having read from the different forums I am begining to realise that I probably have had symptoms.has anyone else had an mild ache/hum running from one hand ,up the arem accross the chest and down the other arm to the other hand.?a feeling of discomfort in the neck as is there is something there? problems with turning around the neck /head to talk to some one in theback seat of car for any lenght of time.unable to keep arms raised for any amount of time when say painting? discomfort in neck when stretching arms up straight ?feeling a tiny bit sick in the morning when waking up and then making breakfast quickly as that sorts it out?
what do you think?
donna

 

[westie]

rubbish

rubbish

the thought of the restrictions and side effects. tablet .i take a low dose i see a life on Warfarin as possible headaches,dizzy,tummy problems,...

my wish list would be tissue valve with no new medications added to my list to take,cups of green tea every morning and evening,avacados and asparagus and the help of wonderful homeopathic arnica DONNA

sorry donna, this is rubbish! warfarin does NOT give you headaches, dizzyness or tummy problems. it does NOT stop you drinking green tea, eating greens or using homeopathis products.

when taking warfarin, you can eat and drink what you like; but i must say home testing helps.

the prospect of reops due to tissue valve failure should be a much bigger worry. my specialists said that tissue valves were a total non starter for me due to my young age (54 at the time)

good luck

 

[donna]

thanks Westie ,yea i have decided to go with the mechanical valve and i talked to the nurse in the hospital and the thinking now re warfarin is that you work the diet and the medication together so i hope ti bring my green tea with me into hospital ..looks loke my date now is for May..am happy to have the extra time
Donna

 

[EireCara]

Hi Donna, welcome to this wonderful site. I have not had valve surgery but I do take warfarin and I eat absolutely anything I want. Of course I would rather not take warfarin but then I would most definitely not want to have a stroke so taking warfarin is just lke taking any other medication really. I think regarding food,I am vegetarian so for me I think the best tip is probably consistency, but if you do decide to have a large green salad etc just dose the diet. Easy peesy.

 

[olefin]

Hi Donna,
I also had to have valve replacement at age 56. The last thing I though of was diet after surgery. The year before I had a severe bleeding duodenal ulcer. The surgeons didn't like me having to go on warfarin with a history of bleeding ulcer but couldn't recommend using a pig valve that would have to be replaced. After having complications during AVR I knew we had made the right decision for I sure didn't want to go through that again in my lifetime!
BTW, a person doesn't have to change their diet but it helps to be consistent.
I eat the same food as before AVR.

 

[neil]

good luck with the surgery donna.......you will be just fine......