I guess I just figured

[MNmom]

Since I was getting a mechanical valve there was no choice to be made on the brand. I didnt review the valve choice forum since I thought the choice to be made was mechanical or tissue. Now I am fresh out of surgery and am reading all the stuff about the On-X valve. I put my trust in my surgeon, whose name I got on this site (and really appreciated that by the way) but didnt discuss the brand of valve. After surgery I asked, and learned that I got a Carbomedic brand. What is done is done, but should I be feeling like I missed something by not exploring the brands of valves? I guess I just always assumed I would leave that up to the surgeon...Hmmm. I was told my valve/ dacron graft would outlast me for centuries by my local cardiologist, who, again, never mentioned brand names and I never asked. Just curious

 

[geebee]

Don't start second guessing or you will drive yourself crazy. Also, I know that not every valve is usable depending on the needs of the patient. Roots, grafts, etc. are not available with every valve (to my understanding). Not being a AVR patient, my knowledge is limited so I am sure others will be along.

Just be happy to be alive and be assured that your surgeon did what he felt was best for you.

 

[WayneGM]

Ditto what Geebee said. There's no right or wrong valve choice other than not having it done. There's lots of members who have had success with the Carbomedic. Best wishes for s smooth and speedy recovery.

 

[zipper2]

MNMOM,

16 years ago if any consulation i had a carbomedic's
aortic valve put in and it's still doing fine. I'm on the
wait now for a mechanical valve replacement,not scheduled
yet for this surgery,hopefully soon! However when i had the first
vs and the carboedics put in,i never even know i was getting carbomedics
nor did i realize i'd be on warfarin after the surgery,not cus they
failed to tell me,but cus i was in such denial back then,i didn't care
Iv,e had no problems other than recently due to the mitral in
such bad shape my aortic valve clickers stopped clicking and only
cus the mitral is backing up not allowing enough pressure for blood
flow through the aortic valve. They told me the carbomedics valve
is in excellent shape and not to worry,my original mitral needs replacement
so i,ll be going with another carbomedics for the mitral.
It's not so bad ,dont put so much thought into it
Glad everything went well for you and your surgery is done,wish i could say
the same.


zipper2

 

[MNmom]

Thanks

Thanks

I tend to over think and over analyze things. I know it does me no good to worry about it now, just wanted reassurance that my valve is in fact ok for 2008, which of course it is. Im feeling great, just got in from a 20 minute walk, and only came in because it was getting dark, not because I was tired. I am ready to hit the gym, but know that I cant yet, which puts me at this computer!
Ingrid

 

[dick0236]

You've come thru the surgery successfully. Don't start looking for things to second guess. You trusted a surgeon with your life as well as using the appropriate valve and it appears that he has earned that trust. Mechanical valves, regardless of "brand" are designed to last a lifetime. I have a mechanical valve that is a Model T when compared to the modern valve, yet it continues to function very well. Be happy, today is the first day of the rest of your life....gee, that sounds so corny, but it IS true

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Since I was getting a mechanical valve there was no choice to be made on the brand. I didnt review the valve choice forum since I thought the choice to be made was mechanical or tissue. Now I am fresh out of surgery and am reading all the stuff about the On-X valve. I put my trust in my surgeon, whose name I got on this site (and really appreciated that by the way) but didnt discuss the brand of valve. After surgery I asked, and learned that I got a Carbomedic brand. What is done is done, but should I be feeling like I missed something by not exploring the brands of valves? I guess I just always assumed I would leave that up to the surgeon...Hmmm. I was told my valve/ dacron graft would outlast me for centuries by my local cardiologist, who, again, never mentioned brand names and I never asked. Just curious

Mayo Clinic (and many other hospitals) treat valves as "commodities", putting that business up for competitive bid, selecting 2 manufacturers for 2 year contracts. Obviously Carbomedics is one of their 'in house' brands. My *guess* is that St. Jude is the other. The next contract date will be in January 2009 according to my contact "in the business".

There is a surgeon at Mayo, Dr. Dearani, who will use On-X valves. I do not know his specialty. For your complex surgery of the Aorta, Dr. Sundt was clearly the expert at Mayo. You made a good choice there and have had a good outcome (in spite of your trials and tribulations with Coumadin and Lovenox

Another possible factor in your case is that On-X does not yet provide valves with attached Grafts / Conduits which are available from some other manufacturers (I know St. Jude makes those, I'm not sure about Carbomedics).

Grafts / Conduits can be made and attached during surgery in just a few extra minutes (less with an assistant). Brian in California received an On-X valve and his surgeon attached a graft during the operation.

Patients who are interested in a particular valve can ask their surgeons to use that valve as their first choice. Several of our members have been "First Time" On-X recipients including one at the Cleveland Clinic.

Cleveland Clinic is another hospital that selects 2 providers for mechanical (and presumably 2 manufacturers for tissue) valves. They recently added On-X to their offerings largely as a result of Patient Requests.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Bina]

MNmom, I understand your thoughts.
When I went in for my consult I also thought that I was choosing between pig valve or mechanical. I had heard good things about the St.Jude and only much later did I discover that Mechanicals have many manufacturers and models. I went with my surgeon's choice.

 

[pamela]

<snip> I?m sure your valve will provide you a lifetime of value.

Too true! Consider how many vehicles you buy in a lifetime, I'm sure, unless you always get the bargain model, that by the time you buy the last, you'll have spent at least as much as your valve cost.