Mechanical Aortic Valve Gradients

[Timmay]

On my last echo, I had a

peak of 11.2 mmHg
mean of 7.0 mmHg

This was considered normal.

Peak velocity was 1.67 m/s

 

[Jeff Lebowski]

On my last echo, I had a

peak of 11.2 mmHg
mean of 7.0 mmHg

This was considered normal.

Peak velocity was 1.67 m/s

I asked the sacred source of information ChatGPT about this and received the following response

“A peak gradient of 25 mmHg and a mean gradient of 14 mmHg across the aortic valve can be considered within the normal range for patients who have undergone mechanical aortic valve replacement, but it can vary depending on the type of valve, its size, and the patient's condition.

In general:
- **Peak gradient**: A peak gradient under 30-40 mmHg is typically considered acceptable for a well-functioning mechanical valve.
- **Mean gradient**: A mean gradient of less than 20 mmHg is often regarded as normal in these patients.

However, it's crucial to assess these values in the context of other clinical parameters, such as valve size, flow rates, and the patient's symptoms. If there are no significant symptoms or echocardiographic signs of valve dysfunction (like regurgitation or stenosis), these values are often seen as satisfactory.

Always consult with your cardiologist for a comprehensive evaluation tailored to the specific case.”

 

[tommyboy14]

Hi Jeff,

it all depends on valve. But as your heart remodels these values can still improve. I suspect as your heart thickening unwinds, these gradients may fall because your heart learns that it can push less hard and then gradiemts go down.

I was very fortunate that my heart normalised immeduately after second surgery. I have a 25mm On-x mechanical and my mean gradient is 5, peak varies between 8-10 depending on echo.

you should look into cardiac rehab if yoh can. it helped me very much.

with respect to dental work, my dentist always says so long INR below 3, bleeding risk too small to worry about. So far their approach working well