Is daily low dose Aspirin required after tissue aorta valve replacement?

[bdryer]

Is daily low dose Aspirin required after tissue aorta valve replacement?

Is this a life time requirement?

How can the low dose Aspirin be ingested to avoid stomach problems?

Is Wafaren painful and harmful to the stomach ?


Thx

 

[ottagal]

Hi Bruce,
I had AVR with a tissue valve and in my case am not on low dose aspirin. The only requirement was that I take enteric coated aspirin (325 mg) for 3 months post op. I know that every case is different. I think it will depend on your surgeon/cardiologist, age, other coronary artery disease risks, gender etc. I know that others who have a tissue valve are taking aspirin.

I also posted a thread with a similiar question about this. Here is the link. You may be interested in reading the responses.

http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...tic-Tissue-Valvers-and-Aspirin-Use&highlight=

 

[ejc61]

I was told to take a low dose 81mg aspirin after surgery. I continue to take it although my cardiologist didn't say to stop/continue taking it. I just take it now because. Not a scientific answer. I would take it after you eat lunch. It hasn't bothered my stomach that way.

 

[Kathy McCain]

Yes, low dose aspirin is taken for your lifetime after tissue valve surgery. I take daily myself. I have had absolutely no problems.

 

[olefin]

How can the low dose Aspirin be ingested to avoid stomach problems?
Is Wafaren painful and harmful to the stomach ?
Thx
Bruce

Bruce, I've taken a 81 mg coated aspirin and warfarin daily for over 19 years. No problems. And had a history of bleeding duodenal ulcer before AVR.

 

[ottagal]

Yes, low dose aspirin is taken for your lifetime after tissue valve surgery.

Kathy,

I have a tissue valve and in my case, and for now I was not advised to take low dose aspirin for life (except 325 - 3 months post op). The reason being I am under 50, female, have no afib (touch wood), very low risk for coronary artery disease etc. Perhaps, that will change in the future.

It seems that different cardios/surgeons have different protocols. I did a quick search for an answer on the recommendation for long term low dose aspirin use post valve replacement and wasn't successful. I could only find the guildelines for aspirin use for coronary artery disease. http://www.annals.org/content/150/6/396.full

 

[neil]

i had a lot of trouble with af after my op,was put on 81 enteric coated aspirin, was told to stay on it until further notice, good news af has calmed down and touch wood no ill effects with aspirin

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Ask your Doctor(s) about taking ENTERIC (coated) 81 mg Aspirin.
The coating protects your stomach as it passes through.
The medicine (and nutrients from your food) are transferred through your intestines.

Never had any stomach problems from taking Warfarin.

Most of the Horror Stories you hear about Warfarin came from the 'bad old days' before the INR method of testing and monitoring anticoagulation was developed in the early 1990's. Most problems today come from managers who overreact to slightly low or high INR readings by telling their patients to make LARGE changes in their dosage which almost always leads to a Roller Coaster Effect.

Most patients find that SMALL changes work best for 'easying' back into range when their INR is slightly out of range (and does not exceed 5.0).

 

[bdryer]

Thanks for your support

Thanks for your support

Well from reading your experiences with aspirin, in particular 81 mg coated and warfarin, I should fare well.

Thx very much

 

[marie]

I have a tissue valve and take 81 mg coated aspirin.

 

[Lynlw]

Hi Bruce,
I had AVR with a tissue valve and in my case am not on low dose aspirin. The only requirement was that I take enteric coated aspirin (325 mg) for 3 months post op. I know that every case is different. I think it will depend on your surgeon/cardiologist, age, other coronary artery disease risks, gender etc. I know that others who have a tissue valve are taking aspirin.

I also posted a thread with a similiar question about this. Here is the link. You may be interested in reading the responses.

http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...tic-Tissue-Valvers-and-Aspirin-Use&highlight=

I was going to write just about the same thing you did.
Justin doesn't take any meds, including aspirin

 

[Superbob]

Looks like you've gotten a good response, but just to add mine: Yes, I am a tissue-valver who takes a coated 81 mg aspirin daily, and have had no stomach problems with it. I assume it's for the duration.

 

[Davidr]

My cardiologist (10 years ago) explained to me that the primary method of preventing clotting/scar tissue is warfarin, but that aspirin blocks a different type of clotting...

My research has shown that warfarin interferes with vitamin K, which affects Protien C, which is needed in the clotting process, while aspirin reduces platelet formation, which also is critical to clotting.

So by taking warfarin according to a targeted INR, and adding aspirin (approx 100mg/day) in a coated form (to prevent damage to the stomach lining), I would be stopping the two factors that might contribute to clots and/or scarring...

And no, for 10 years, I have had no I'll effects from taking aspirin, as long as it is coated! Or warfarin, for that matter.

 

[BAVD John]

Yep, I take 325 mg of aspirin each day, but then again in addition to my valve replacement I have one stent in one of my arteries. I've been taking the daily aspirin since 2004 without any ill effects.

 

[bdryer]

Great feed back

Great feed back

I will in the very near future have my aorta valve replaced. I was considering a MHV but research is showing that the porcine/bovine would better suit my athletic life style.

Knowing that 81 mg coated aspirin would possibly be required daily, I tried taking it. Once with food and once on an empty stomach. Results were the same in that my stomach was slightly irritated. How in the heck can I avoid an irritated stomach?

I was thinking that if aspirin irritates my stomach, then perhaps going with a MHV and taking warfarin may be a better route. Any suggestions on how to take the aspirin to prevent an irritated stomach? Does guzzling a glass of milk work?

Thx

 

[Superbob]

I will in the very near future have my aorta valve replaced. I was considering a MHV but research is showing that the porcine/bovine would better suit my athletic life style.

Knowing that 81 mg coated aspirin would possibly be required daily, I tried taking it. Once with food and once on an empty stomach. Results were the same in that my stomach was slightly irritated. How in the heck can I avoid an irritated stomach?

I was thinking that if aspirin irritates my stomach, then perhaps going with a MHV and taking warfarin may be a better route. Any suggestions on how to take the aspirin to prevent an irritated stomach? Does guzzling a glass of milk work?

Thx
Bruce

Here's something from drugs.com with tips about how to take aspirin without having stomach upset. Do you drink a full glass of water with it? The milk sounds like a good idea.

http://www.drugs.com/aspirin.html

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Did you try taking a COATED (Enteric) Aspirin?

 

[bdryer]

Hey Al

Yea the 81 mg was enteric or coated.

Is Warfarin known to cause stomach problems? Most of the folks here you included are doing fine. Believe me, I'm still strongly thinking of going mechanical. I've still got time to mull over my options. My prospective surgeon said he can get the On-X on the shelf at the hospital.

Sounds like I would be the first recipient on an On-X in my city should we go that route.

As I was having problems with the aspirin, I was wondering if the warfarin is less of a stomach irritant. It would be lousy to get a tissue valve and find I can't tolerate aspirin. Hence my posting this topic on the forum seeking feed back from experience.

Thanks

 

[Lynlw]

That's interesting, I thought the enteric coated aspirin, doesn't dissolve until it passes the stomach, so shouldnt cause problems.
Do you have a history of stomach problems? IF you do have ulcers or bleeds you might want to discuss how coumadin could affect that

Since the Aspirin isn't given for everyone with tissue valves and some who are told to stay on Aspirin most likely are told that because of their age and not because of their valve, since alot of doctors put all their older (50 and up?) patients on a small daily aspirin to hopefully prevent heart attacks even patients that never had any kind of heart surgery.
I'm sure if you got a tissue valve and had problems with the aspirin, they would tell you not to use it, since many tissue valve patients aren't on any meds.
This IS a question I would ask your cardiologists and surgeons I Believe that some people with mechanical valves and Coumadin, are also told to take aspirin for the same heart benefits once they get to a certain age.

 

[tobagotwo]

The first three months ("simple" valve replacement) or six months (valve and aorta involved) post-surgery, there is a greater risk of clotting and stroke (as well as infective endocarditis, which is unaffected by aspirin intake). This is because the endothelium ("inner skin") takes that long to grow back over the parts touched by surgery. Aspirin and/or plavix, or warfarin may be used to reduce any chance of clotting.

After that, there's no science to taking aspirin solely for the replaced tissue valve in the absence of other risk factors. Taking aspirin is not dictated by having received a tissue valve. However, there is wide variation in what individual cardiologists consider "risks" - even just being over 50 years old is often considered an added risk factor. If it bothers you, and you've no known risk factors, ask the cardiologist about going off the aspirin.

A reminder: a number of studies have found that enterically coated aspirin does not have the same effectiveness in all people as uncoated aspirin. It seems to be associated with poorer salicylate absorption in the small intestine. For myself, I always take two, 81mg enterically coated aspirins instead of one, to ensure I'm getting the appropriate amount of the active ingredient.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9863744

http://www.medscape.com/druginfo/monograph?cid=med&drugid=21141&drugname=Enteric+Coated+Aspirin+Oral&monotype=monograph&secid=5

Best wishes,