Welcome to the forum!
I discovered this forum a few months before my aortic valve surgery and it was such a great resource for me. It was very informative to read the stories of those who had faced the procedure that I was facing and also the faced the choices that I had to make.
My situation was almost the exact as yours: born bicuspid, became severe at age 53 and got surgery (Pellicle linked the thread to my story above), had an aortic aneurysm repaired while they were in there. This procedure is also what you will likely get and is called a Bentall, which involves replacing your aortic valve and also part of your aorta.
Like you, I chose mechanical. I don't want repeat surgeries and my family has a history for longevity, so it would have probably meant multiple surgeries for me. I considered the On-x and the St Jude and ultimately decided to go with the St Jude. They are both good valves and you will be fine with the On-x. As mentioned by Pellicle, if you go with the On-x, really consider avoiding the lower INR range that some recommend of 1.5 to 2.0. There are several threads on this forum discussing this. If your cardiologist is insisting on the lower INR, I would seek a second opinion. As I mentioned, I was deciding between On-x and St. Jude and my surgeon was happy to give me whichever I chose, but he insisted that if I chose On-x, my INR range would be 2.0-3.0 not below 2.0. He and his colleagues are of the view that the lower INR is just marketing and not safe. There is much you can read about that issue on this website.
My quick list of suggestions and what to expect.
Go into surgery in the best physical shape possible. If you are not the athletic type, at least do a lot of brisk walking leading up to surgery. The better physical condition, generally the better your recovery.
Walk as often as they will let you in recovery. You will feel better, and it really helps recovery to get the blood pumping and the muscles working a little.
They will give you an incentive spirometer in recovery. You are to use this many times per day to open your lungs back up, as the lungs are collapsed for the surgery. It is really important to use this as often as they tell you. If your situation is like mine, they will guide you few times per day, but you will also be expected to use it on your own several times. Don't cut corners with this- it is super important for a safe recovery to get those lungs opend back up.
It is not a cake walk, but recovery is not as bad as you might think. Take each improvement in recovery as a victory that you can feel good about and look forward to the next victory. You will be fully recovered before you know it.
Also, you can be very active with a mechanical valve. I came from my jiu jitsu class an hour ago, in which I wrestled with guys in their 20s and 30s. The mechanical valve has posed no issues in being physically active for me, and many others here on the forum.
Best of luck with your procedure and please keep us updated.
