Mechanical Noise

[Woodbutcher]

I recon if your new partner is distracted by a faintly ticking valve then you obviously need to work on your technique ?!

 

[river-wear]

Seems to me, a partner would wonder about the big scar anyway...

Larger people are less likely to tick than smaller people.
I also believe that smaller valve sizes are more likely to tick than larger ones.
Has something to do with closing velocity of the leaflet.
The surgeon installs the largest possible valve size to maximize blood flow.

Uh oh. I already joked to my husband that he's going to kick me out of the bedroom for clicking too loudly after surgery. I hope it won't be that bad! I'm not a big person. Then again, he's put up with much more over 20 years so he'll get used to it - and I haven't made a valve choice yet; maybe it'll be a moot point.