Mechanical/Tissue Valve - Redo Surgery on Sept 21st

[pellicle]

Mechanical valves are not used on patients that require emergency valve replacements and still have active endocarditis; Homographs (human donor) are the first preference if available or a tissue valve.

Interestingly they gave Ski Girl a mechanical

 

[Agian]

I think the key word is 'active'. One of the guys who used to write here has a blog. He got endocarditis 3 months after an On-X. They replaced it with a St Jude's.

 

[pellicle]

I think the key word is 'active'.

exactly ... if you don't know SkiGirls story she had exactly that

http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/forum/heart-talk/40451-infective-endocarditis

 

[Seaton]

One of the guys who used to write here has a blog. He got endocarditis 3 months after an On-X. They replaced it with a St Jude's.

Anthony, I think:

https://robovalve.wordpress.com/summary/

 

[Agian]

Anthony, I think:

https://robovalve.wordpress.com/summary/

Yep, that's him.

 

[QuincyRunner]

I had emergency OHS (12 hours notice) with active endocarditis and implanted with a mechanical valve (and glad I was). There was no time to get rid of the infection ahead of time and I spent the next six weeks after OHS on IV antibiotics to kill the infection, which was the result of a teeth cleaning BTW.

 

[OldManEmu]

Again

Was it a normal, healthy valve though? No rheumatic fever, stenosis etc?

I have never had rheumatic fever, however the valve was severely regurgitant at the point of surgery, as my endocarditis was sub acute and it had been eating away at my valve for eight months before it was discovered. The surgeon wouldn't operate until the infectious diseases doctors gave the all clear after month of IV antibiotics through a PICC line.
The valve was such a mess and there was the evidence of having had 2 abscesses around the valve that the surgeon thought I still may have had active endocarditis and the infectious diseases doctors had me on vancomycin and gentamicin combination of antibiotics until the valve was cultured in the lab to determine if it still had an active infection, it didn't.

From some of the posts it appears some surgeons are now using mechanical valves with active endocardits.

I have attached a link to a study that Homografts have principal indication of use with active endocarditis.

http://mmcts.oxfordjournals.org/content/2009/0626/mmcts.2009.003905.full

The second study is the comparison of Homograft reinfection rates to stentless valves.

http://icvts.oxfordjournals.org/content/11/3/309.full

 

[pellicle]

I have attached a link to a study that Homografts have principal indication of use with active endocarditis.

http://mmcts.oxfordjournals.org/cont...09.003905.full

The second study is the comparison of Homograft reinfection rates to stentless valves.

http://icvts.oxfordjournals.org/content/11/3/309.full

interesting reading ... thanks

I'm glad that my surgeon put in a homograft back in 1991 ... could well have saved me from endo earlier

 

[Agian]

Again
I have never had rheumatic fever, however the valve was severely regurgitant at the point of surgery, as my endocarditis was sub acute and it had been eating away at my valve for eight months before it was discovered. The surgeon wouldn't operate until the infectious diseases doctors gave the all clear after month of IV antibiotics through a PICC line.
The valve was such a mess and there was the evidence of having had 2 abscesses around the valve that the surgeon thought I still may have had active endocarditis and the infectious diseases doctors had me on vancomycin and gentamicin combination of antibiotics until the valve was cultured in the lab to determine if it still had an active infection, it didn't.
From some of the posts it appears some surgeons are now using mechanical valves with active endocardits.
I have attached a link to a study that Homografts have principal indication of use with active endocarditis.
http://mmcts.oxfordjournals.org/content/2009/0626/mmcts.2009.003905.full
The second study is the comparison of Homograft reinfection rates to stentless valves.
http://icvts.oxfordjournals.org/content/11/3/309.full

Thanks, for answering. I'm assuming you mean the regurgitation was due to the endocarditis.
All of us here are at risk, obviously. But it also sounds like it can hit anyone, even people with a perfectly normal valve.

 

[Agian]

Pel, I forgot to thank you for the links.

 

[Agian]

I had emergency OHS (12 hours notice) with active endocarditis and implanted with a mechanical valve (and glad I was). There was no time to get rid of the infection ahead of time and I spent the next six weeks after OHS on IV antibiotics to kill the infection, which was the result of a teeth cleaning BTW.

Teeth cleaning comes up a lot. Makes you wonder.
And I guess you had no real reason to take antibiotic prophylaxis (I might be assuming you too had a perfectly normal valve)

 

[Agian]

This was Skigirl's advice: "So how to prevent it? The key seems to be mouthwash before brushing or flossing, then wait five minutes before you brush/floss. I really wish I'd been told this little nugget of advice after the first operation, but maybe some of you can benefit from it now!!!"

I was actually doing this, but my dental hygienist told me to stop, "because Listerine can cause mouth cancer". She told me it had been pulled off the shelves.
http://www.aafp.org/afp/1998/0201/p457.html

 

[pellicle]

I was actually doing this, but my dental hygienist told me to stop, "because Listerine can cause mouth cancer". She told me it had been pulled off the shelves.

substitute "listerine" with " anti bacterial mouthwash" and you're good to go.

For some "listerine" is like "hoover" is to vacuum cleaner ... a generic term which has been absorbed by a product name

 

[Agian]

substitute "listerine" with " anti bacterial mouthwash" and you're good to go.
For some "listerine" is like "hoover" is to vacuum cleaner ... a generic term which has been absorbed by a product name

I think the association with mouth cancer relates to the alcohol content. You could say this about the wine you drink.

What do you use, if anything?

 

[pellicle]

What do you use, if anything?

my dentist said something about there being an issue with some staining your teeth ... I'm using an Oral B one

(some evenings a Juniper scented one called Gin, other evenings a French one from a district called Cognac and others a Malt one from Tasmania called Hellyers)

 

[Agian]

(some evenings a Juniper scented one called Gin, other evenings a French one from a district called Cognac and others a Malt one from Tasmania called Hellyers)

Five minutes before you brush? Now you're just making **** up

 

[pellicle]

Five minutes before you brush? Now you're just making **** up

I never addressed the time, only what I use ... and if anyone is drinking malt W and brushing they need a visit from the boys ... that's just criminal

 

[Agian]

I never addressed the time, only what I use ... and if anyone is drinking malt W and brushing they need a visit from the boys ... that's just criminal

Wannabe hipster. You'll be wearing a fedora next and drinking "deconstructed latte".

 

[QuincyRunner]

Agian - I had a pre-existing heart murmur but my dentist never asked and I didn't know it was pertinent. Even so, the protocols currently in place do not advise antibiotic prophylaxis for people with heart murmurs. They say that the risk of antibiotic use is greater than the risk of getting endocarditis. Yea right. I'll also mention that on that particular dentist visit the hygienist tried out a new cleaning method in lieu of flossing. I called it sand blasting. It stung quite a bit and left me sore and bleeding. Between the lack of prophylaxis and the sand blasting I guess it was an open invitation for Mr. Endo.

 

[pellicle]

...They say that the risk of antibiotic use is greater than the risk of getting endocarditis. Yea right.

agreed ... I've yet to see any argument against prophylactic use of antibiotics aside from the nebulous "it reduces the span of time that antibiotics will be useful to humanity" argument. Which considering there are literally tons of antibiotics used in animal feed in parts of the world and the same bacteria can infect both humans and stock animals that argument holds little water.

I'm "lucky" that I'm on antibiotics full time...