How old when you had an AVR

[Turkey Hunter]

Hi Joe,

Hi Joe,

I was 27 when I had my AVR and I chose the Ross Procedure.

I am still very active and pretty much unlike Rob.....I have that Have no fear' attitude..... (Well either no fear or no smarts....lol)

I am very pleased with my choice and have had great reports from my cardio.

Going to the personal stories area will give you more information on each....including some reasons for the choices.

Ben

 

[Joe Parker]

Chainsaws? Always wanted to learn to juggle them.
Its nice to hear that everyone is managing their coumadin well and that there hasn't been any real difficulties. That is what my cardiologist and surgeon are saying given my activity level that coumadin is no big deal. Given that they are only tools to my health its good to listen to everyone here who is going through the same thing.
I forgot to mention that I have a bicuspid valve with regurgitation that has created two jets. My left ventricle size is enlarged but will bounce back since its still within "their" paramaters. Activity wise I do well but notice I am getting a little more tired these days but not "winded" and more noticeably on my last deer hunting trip this year.
As soon as I figure this thing out I will post a picture.
Joe Parker
[email protected]

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi joe!
welcome! my husband, joey, had his ross procedure at the age of 49.
he felt very much that he did not want to take coumadin.
he has been happy with his choice and continues to do well, thank God.
my father, on the other hand, has a st. jude's valve and takes coumadin.
he is also in chronic afib so he has to take the coumadin either way.
despite the fact that he [used to be] is afraid of needles, he considers the
coumadin to be "no big deal". i seem to hear that more often from those who
take coumadin. it seems that those who do not take it tend to feel intimidated by it
and its risks.
i wish you all the best in your decision.
please let us know how it goes.
be well, sylvia

 

[HFK]

Hi I had homograft (human) put in 3 years ago at 42 and have had no problems with that valve,and am happy with my choice.HFK

 

[Heather Fisher]

I had a Ross procedure done at age 46 (three months ago) I probably would have been fine with a mechanical valve but just didn't want to deal with one. I used to work rehab in hospitals and always saw the results of coumadin problems. Granted, a number of these patients were non-compliant with coumadin monitoring but there are some risks.... My dad had a stroke shortly after beginning coumadin, obviously he had not yet reached a therapuetic dosage. So far I've been happy with my decision and everything is working great.

Heather

 

[Joe Parker]

It looks like I will end up with a mechanical valve, mostly because I don't want to go through the surgery again, which would happen. I have also been reading about a new medication that could replace coumadin and has had great results in clinical trials for hip replacements and stuff. I didn't read anything yet on weather its good for valve patients. But if the concept is the same, I.E. to prevent clotting then this new medication should work just fine.
Of course I am still flipping back and forth still. I have a 17 y/o daughter, 12 son and 9 year old son. I am not Evil Knevil by any means but I do get banged up.
Joe Parker

 

[Ross]

How long will the valve last?
The St. Jude Medical® mechanical heart valve is made of graphite and coated with pyrolytic carbon. Studies have shown that the valve will not wear out during the patient's lifetime. However, if there are problems with blood clot formation, the valve may need to be replaced.

But a tissue valve, which is composed of living tissue, may have a shorter life span than a mechanical valve. The symptoms of valve failure may be the same symptoms you experienced before surgery (e.g., shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, fatigue, fluid retention). If one or more of these symptoms occur, notify your physician.

It's true that there are no guarantees, but in all probability it will last you your lifetime.

 

[tommy]

Hey Joe,

I was 46 when I had my AVR 3 years ago. I chose the mechanical valve to avoid later surgery. I had a bicuspid aortic valve with stenosis, regurgitating, and enlarged heart. Post-surgery, my heart has shrunk to normal size. I'm feeling fine at 49!

I self test (Coumadin) at home and call the results in to my cardiologist's office for further directions and dosage adjustments. Dosages adjustments are rare for me.

I won't kid you - Coumadin must be managed. The first few weeks of Coumadin were rough for me. In addition to finding the right dose, I failed to take the right dose (don't do that!). Since then I've been fine. I did have some bruising from playing baseball and have hung up my cleats. My reaction time is getting too slow anyway. I still catch for my son in the yard, but got some shin guards and a mask just to be safe. I've had some minor surgeries - one required an alternate short-term anticoagulant, and another just required a reduced dose for a couple of days.

So even though I've had some "events" with Coumadin, if I had to do it all over again, I would get a mechanical. The thought of doing the chest zipper thing again is not something I choose to have happen, given a choice.

Hope this helps.

 

[Kenny F]

While I'm one week out from AVR, I wanted to chime in on this one. I was completely set on mechanical when I met with my surgeon. It's not that he tried to talk me out of one or the other, he just very patiently shared his experiences with both and it evolved in the converstaion that both my wife and I felt more comfortable with the tissue. The bovine valve is new enough that they do not know if it will go past 20 years - but it could. Also, I will possibly need an aortic root, in which case it would appear that a homograft is the best fix. Also, while tissue will wear out, mechanicals actually fail.

At first, I wish I hadn't started reading this thread, because I was set. I still am, and that's really my point. There is no perfect solution to the problem, and ultimately, as so many have posted, it will be up to the surgeon. And if I do not trust him enough to use his judgement, get him outta my chest

 

[Joe Parker]

It does help to read the posts and learn at what age and what difficulties one may have had. Thanks for sharing.
Joe Parker

 

[nefarious_muse]

Hi Joe,
My husband had his AVR at age 38, w/St Judes Mechanical. He had no choice as the surgery was done within a few days after being diagnosed with regurgitation and an aortic aneurysm.

Nef

 

[JetService]

Hi Joe, I had my AVR last month at age 37. I found out there was a problem in August, so everything happened so fast. Both my cardiologist and surgeon made it very obvious to me that the St. Jude was the way to go for my age. It was a no-brainer for me too as I did NOT want to go through another surgery in 5-10 years (the estimate given to me by my cardiologist). The Coumadin consequence was definately the better of two evils for me, but I have very little problem with taking a daily pill and getting a stick in the arm once in awhile. I heard a lot of folks deciding on the bio-valve banking on medical advances in valves when the next time comes around. I figure there could also be advances in anti-coagulation just and well and am banking on that. Both the doctor giving me my heart cath and my cardiologist told me that the mechanical valves will last a lifetime and never need replaced except for failure. But they don't wear out according to them (and failure is incredibly rare apparently). The Coumadin risk was explained as 1% per patient year which means every year 1% of the population on Coumadin has a problem. My follow-up surgeon also added that some choose to not use Coumadin and those folks look at a 5% risk each year. Of course EVERYTHING I've heard applies to me and my valve which is the 27A-101 according to my card.

Good luck on your surgery!!!!!

 

[warnerd]

I was hesitant to reply since I had the surgery in 01/02 when I was 37 and I'm still not sure which valve I want.
Seriously, I wish I would have had access to this site then. Even though I was being watched because of an enlarged heart (they weren't sure why) the decision to replace the valve came quick. I seem to be a bit naive and trusting and I just went with the surgeon's advice (Edwards Lifesciences - Bovine). I asked little and knew little (I think I may have been in a state of shock). The surgeon indicated that if I didn't mind the surgery (like anyone could explain the magnitude of it) and I wanted a "normal" existence, this would be the way to go. He said if I was his brother, this is what he would recommend (that seemed like a strong recommendation to me). Fast forward to today...I've been living a "normal" life (almost too normal if you read some recent posts and the recommendation that I stop it) BUT, I'm not sure there is a day that goes by that I don't think about that upcoming surgery. Big decision. I wish you luck! daw

 

[McCln]

Hey Joe!

Hey Joe!

Welcome to the board. I was 36 when I had my Aortic valve replacement. My recovery was speedy compared to repair almost 30 years before. I was out of action at work for six weeks, which two weeks of waiting for one leg to get better from infection. I did very well. I did not go to rehab, but is good for those who can do it. I am doing better now, having type 2 diabetes and get a handle on my weight, lost 60 pounds so far. I will soon be going to a nutristionist to get a handle on my dieting. You will be fine. Just do as the docs and nurses tell you and walk a bit after surgery. And come in when you have questions, there are years of experience in here. Take care.

Caroline
09-13-01
Aortic valve replacement
St. Jude's valve

 

[chilihead]

I just had a Ross procedure done on 11/18/03. One thing to consider is that if you go with a stentless pig valve or a Ross, you will probably be able to take advantage of the laproscopic procedures being developed when it comes time to replace what ever you need in the future. I don't think you can do that if you have a stented valve. It's a tough decision. No one will recommend a Ross procedure unless they have a skilled surgeon on their team that does them regularly. I'm going on my secon week at home after the surgery and feel pretty good.

Best of luck with your decision. It is agonizing I know!!!!!!

Regards,

Jim
Ross Procedure 11/18/03

 

[Joe Parker]

Everyone continues to give me some great advice, as January draws near.
Keep up the posts.
Joe Parker

 

[fisher6476]

What I found interesting when I first got on this site is that there were a lot of folks that when asked had opinions about which way to go, what valve to choose, what hospital to go to but the overiding wisdom on this site I believe is that most everyone will tell you YOU have to make the choices for yourself based on what you want. I will have a tissue valve implanted Friday, along with a Dacron tube to repair a section of my Aorta. For my own reasons, I did not want to be on blood thinners, but if something would happen Friday and I woke up and the Doc said you have to be on Coumadin for the rest of your life, it would not be the end of the world for me either. My surgeon said that with a little luck I could get 20 years out of this bovine pericardial valve (who knows). I am 52 years old now and if I get 13 to 15 years out of it I will be 65 to 68 years old. Who knows what might be available then? But for me It was the way I wanted to go. And no matter what happens I will not second guess my decision. I made what I considered an "informed" choice and now Damn the Torpedoes...Full Speed Ahead!! Keep searching, asking and learning and I will pray that you come to a resolution that will put you at peace.
Steve

 

[Joe Parker]

Steve:
I wish you well on your surgery. And yes, valve type is a personal choice. I agree 100 % to be happy with the choices we make because it was the right one.

Joe Parker

 

[Perrster]

Valves at Age 50

Valves at Age 50

"Hey Joe, where you goin' with that gun in your hand?" - jimi hendrix (Hendrix was/still is a favorite of mine and I even saw him in concert). Sorry, I couldn't resist the pun...

I had a double valve job at age 50 and will be clickin' away happily (with my St. Jude's) four years post-op in April 2004. I am doing everything possible to stay out of the operating room ever again!! I was back to work in two weeks.

Good luck to you, Joe.

Regards,

 

[dwfreck]

Joe,

I'm 39 and am angling to schedule my AVR surgery for February, 2004.