Mechanical valve noise

[Granbonny]

Karen7

Karen7

Your post on why you chose a mechanical valve was one the the BEST posts I have read on choosing a valve. ( with 4,109 posts on VR.Com, I have read many ) First time I have read someone to say..the stress of waiting before surgery...and the stress that will come a year before the next surgery( choosing a tissue first time)....because you said the word..calculaing the time.. Most people say..I hope my tissue will last me 15 years, ect....but, have often wondered..if they calulate the last few years..the waiting, doctor appointments, ect...getting ready for their next surgery....Also, the family thing..I never want my family to have to sit in a waiting room and worry about me....My big, burly policeman son needed a good-feel shot..worse than me. ..and daughter taking a week off from work to be with me in hospital....I was so lucky to have been married to my hubby for 35 years..and he took great care of me post-op...and still do ......I think everyone has their own reasons for choosing a certain valve..and most have thought it out carefully...and ANY valve they choose is a good one..That's why we are all still here. Didn't mean to hijack this thread..Just impressed with your post...Bonnie

 

[Randy & Robyn]

Pertinent article

Pertinent article

http://www.ismaap.org/51.0.html

This is an article that deals a bit with mechanical heart valve sounds near the end of the article. The entire paper is quite interesting.

Here is the most pertinent excerpt:

Why patients hear heart valve noises

The annulus of the prosthetic heart valve forms an unnatural barrier to blood flow. This is the reason why there are always slight turbulences behind the mechanical valve in aortic or mitral position. In the same way as with a swollen stream, greater turbulences occur as the flow of blood increases through the artificial valve. Not only the cardiologist can pick this up on his stethoscope; sometimes the wearer himself can hear the blood flowing and the tilting disks opening and closing – even without a stethoscope.

Virtually every mechanical heart valve is responsible for creating a certain level of noise. Often the noise decreases as the size of heart valve increases. In addition to noise actually produced by the valve, the human body’s so-called “resonance board” itself plays a role in propagating the noises produced in the mechanical heart valve. It is understandable, therefore, that patients perceive the noises differently.Based on life quality data obtained in the ESCAT study, it was found that approximately 10% of patients are bothered immediately post-operatively by the heart valve noise. Of this patient collective 80% become accustomed to the noise; only 20% of the collective, i.e. 2% of all patients who have undergone replacement mechanical heart valve surgery, find the noise bothersome. Women suffer more from the valve noise than men. In particular the 20-to-30 age group and the 40-to-50 age group develops a strong aversion to the heart valve noise.


What are the advantages of a mechanical heart valve?

The advantage of a mechanical heart valve is the fact that it will last almost forever and that it has flow characteristics that closely approximate those of natural heart valves. With long-term oral anticoagulant medication, thrombogenesis (formation of thrombi) by the heart valves no longer has any role to play.

Other ESCAT study results showed that, with anticoagulation self-management, the incidence of thrombus formation in the first 2 years is just 0.2% per patient year. This is a very low complication rate.

 

[Mike]

There is a link on the carbomedics.com site that approximates mechanical valve sounds; if you need the exact url I'll post it. My wife says my valves don't sound like the St. Jude valve simulated there, but they sound like that to me when I'm in a quiet environment. The comparison of sounds is quite interesting.

Mike

 

[Natanni]

Noise

Noise

Nathan is 7 weeks post op today

He first heard the clicking of his Carbomedics valve in the bathroom. For the first few weeks post op, I could hear this ticking when sitting near him. I could hear a more of a 'thud' when we were walking briskly (when we were not actually suppose to be walking briskly at this point in recovery) Nathan would hear something think a little different, not so sharp sounding, and he thought it came from more his neck/ear region. We noticed 2 wks ago that we could not longer hear his valve. I can hear it only if I put my ear to his chest, and better if I listen to his back. It is more like a tiny thump. He still feel a little banging in his heart when he is working out at cardiac rehab. I am not sure if he still hears anything when working out, he has not mentioned it.

 

[Rick W]

Valve noise

Valve noise

It seems valve noise varies widely from hardly noticable to audible from several feet away. Some of the individuals (us valvers) are not bothered by the noise, some say they have gotten used to it, others say that they hear it all the time, and some notice it only under certain conditions. Apparently this issue varies with each of you and with the type of valve manufacturer, St. Jude being the most common for sure. I wonder how the ON-X owners are doing in specific. As I mentioned, the concern I have with mechanicals is; noise, coumadin, and head or other trauma. Also seems other medical procedures required are influenced by a mechanical valve. Any further input from the forum members would be much appreciated.

Rick

 

[Karlynn]

i am 48 had surgery in sept 2005, had bentall process, it's loud, i am very fit doc, says chest is big for weight lifting in gym. says i have to amplifiers for chest, plus no body fat. it's kind of fun to say to people listen to this they freek out. wakes me up a lot in the middle of the night. you have to have a great sence of humor for this valve. i tell my kids a last words will probally be (oh ****) or ( ut oh!)

Welcome Mark!

Your valve noise will decrease as your heart heals - and with a 9/05 surgery, it is still healing. I only hear mine at night when I'm on my side, or in a tiled, quiet bathroom.

 

[Geo]

Rick,

I am in the same position. 48 yrs old and needing to decide by 2/2 for an AVR. My wife has a MVR, St. Judes. She or I don't even hear it. Maybe when it is real quiet, it sounds like a timex watch. no big deal. I am not concerned in the least about that issue. She is managing the coumadin. She basically eats what ever she feels like and yes has a few drinks when she wants. Again, that seems fine. My biggest concern is dealing with other medical/drug interactions. I have a back that goes out and have been taking naproxen. I was told that I could not take that due to bleeding. The choices are vicoden or tylenol with codine and a muscle relaxant. That may work. OK, then I am thinking about a bleed somewhere, or what if I will need another surgery, or an MRI. I have never had any surgery in my life so I have not walked in the shoes of some of these wonderful people who are offering their opinions. It does scare me to think about OHS.

George

 

[Mb]

My husband has two mechanical St. Jude valves. Most of the time I do not hear it.....if it is quiet in the house, he is reading the newspaper, in our tiled kitchen, I will hear it. He wears one hearing aid, so he doesn't hear it EXCEPT for two conditions......if he opens his mouth, you can (and he can) hear his heart. He also says he can hear it in the phone. Says it is odd, to hear his heart beat when he is waiting "on hold". Combine this with the fact his heart beat is irregular due to chronic afib.....weird.
Marybeth

 

[scouch]

Rick,

I had AVR 4 months ago and was fitted with a mechanical valve. I had originally wanted a tissue valve but after several different surgeons and cardiologist met, they decided that the mechanical valve was best for me. I pursued some other opinions and they all agreed with the mechanical valve decision. My greatest fears about a mechanical valve were the clicking of the valve driving me nuts and taking warfin. Now, 4 months later, I wish that I would have not wasted so much energy worrying about these two things. I don't notice the clicking unless I am in a real quiet room. It only keeps me awake if I am wired on caffine. My wife says it sounds like music to her! The coumadin therapy is not a problem at all. I get my blood checked regularly and the doctor makes adjustments. I am 40 (spent my 40th birthday in ICU after surgery) and am thrilled that my mechanical valve should last a long long time. There is still the possibility of future surgery but it is much less than if I had a tissue valve and the thought of another replacement surgery makes me cry! I am thrilled with my mechanical valve. Good luck!

 

[DinahS]

St. Jude Mechanical

St. Jude Mechanical

Hello!

I just had an AVR on Dec 28th, and got a St. Jude Mechanical Regent Valve. I can't hear a thing. I heard it with a stethoscope in the hospital and can hear it if I put my head on my shoulder and listen really closely. It's kind of strange. I was so paranoid about hearing it and being on coumadin, but it has all been just a breeze. I was worrying myself literally sick over it for NOTHING. I haven't noticed the sound and being on coumadin is no different than being on anything else. I don't fell any different than normal. I was really nervous about it too, but decided to go with mechanical b/c I know that I absolutely DO NOT want to ever put my family through that again. This is the 2nd OHS for me. This one was a breeze too compared to the repair. I know I made the right decision now, and would do it again in a heartbeat!

This is just my experience, and I was on this website for nearly a month before my surgery reading all kinds of experiences. This website is full of wonderful people who have either gone through or will be going through your same situation, and they helped me get through alot of my anxieties and answered tons of my questions.

 

[Gail in Ca]

The porcine valve I had for 11 yrs was wonderful.
Now I have a carbomedics valve and, although I have gotten used to the sound, it still bothers me often. When I read others comments that they aren't at all bothered by theirs, I am amazed. Maybe because I am a musician it bugs me more. When I get irregular beats, it really drives me crazy to hear that valve noise. Deafness runs in my mom's side of the family, so when I'm old, maybe I won't hear it much.
For me coumadin has been kind of a hassle. I get huge bruises, nose bleeds, and usually when I cook a family dinner, I end up cutting myself and that's no fun.
Obviously, each person reacts differently to their valve.
Gail

 

[Mama2Rylan]

Hey!

I had my OHS just this past August. I was alot like you, didn't know which to choose and often changed my mind. When I went in for surgery, I had my mind set on mechanical, and due to my complicated situation during the surgery, that was the only thing they could do. So far I am loving it! I mean I feel great and the coumadin isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I just have to remember to take it every night (which isn't that hard, since I have like a million other "heart" pills to take ) and get my levels checked. Lately, my levels have been off a little bit, so that just means a few more trips to the doctor, not that big of deal. And most people have the option of home testing kits, which is also a big plus.

As far as the "noise" goes, there are times that I do hear it, like if I'm taking a bath...or laying in bed when it's totally quiet. Other then that, I don't notice it. I might be just getting used to it, but no one else has commented on it. This might sound a little weird, but the little "tick-tick" gives me a little comfort, hey, at least I know its working

I think the best reason for a mechanical is that it reduces the chances for another surgery. I mean with a tissue, I know that I would have needed at least one more. So this gives me a little more security, knowing that prolly won't be the case for me anymore. But whatever you choose, just know that it's your choice, and either one will be a good one