Hello All! I'm new here a personal trainer. After being offered the Ross Procedure I have decided against it and am going with a tissue valve. I am very active, a former figure competitor, hike 4k's in New Hampshire and do a lot of resistance training. Valve choice is a confusing process in my opinion. I haven't had the surgery yet, but am completely dreading it! I don't like taking time away from my clients, working out (also not a huge fan of cardio other than hiking). I probably should have put this comment under another thread, but I hope someday advancements in this procedure will go far beyond the TAVR! It seems like we should be way ahead now. My biggest fear is the healing of the Sternotomy and possibly having future limitations to getting back in shape i.e. pull ups, bench press, tricep extensions, etc.
Welcome to the forum Redone!
We have a lot in common. Both born in 1967 and both physically active. I had my aortic valve replacement 6 months ago, so I can relate to what you are facing with concerns about the surgery and the issues around valve choice.
I think the best strategy is to just accept that the surgery must happen, the odds are overwhelmingly favorable for you, and to look forward to waking up in recovery and to beginning the healing process and beginning your return to top physical condition. You will wake up in recovery and you will return to top form little by little, which can actually be a very rewarding experience.
I detail my experience in this thread, including my thought process before surgery and my recovery.
I've crossed the line into severe and need to make a decision
I can tell you that once you are a few months out from surgery, your cardiologist will likely clear you to resume all your physical activities and you will almost certainly eventually get back to100%. Look forward to each victory as you return to your former conditioning. For the past two months I have been hiking up mountains, doing hard cardio at the gym, including HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). I have been lifting weights hard and flipping the 220 pound tire up and down the cross fit area without any pain or difficulty. You mention concern about resuming pull ups, bench press and tricep extensions. Well I do all of those hard, in addition to bar dips, which put a lot of stress on the sternum as well. No issues whatsoever for me.
You may have already made up your mind on valve selection but I would encourage you to not rush your decision. Take your time to do your due diligence. Make a long list of pros and cons of each valve and try to be as realistic and honest with yourself as you can.
I came to the forum certain that I was going with a tissue valve because I wanted to continue with my physically active lifestyle, but ended up changing my mind and choosing mechanical. Hearing others talk about the active lives that they live on warfarin and the ease of self-monitoring INR was crucial in changing my mind. I really do not want to have another surgery and so it became a matter of being willing to take a daily pill and stop hard contact sports, like boxing, in exchange for the probability of avoiding future valve surgeries. When I was leaning heavy tissue, I was hoping I would get 15-20 years out of the new Edward’s Resilia valve and then just pop the next replacement through my leg with a TAVR. Ultimately, I determined that it would be prudent to make my decision based on the current evidence and not based on hope. The reality, after consulting with the top valve surgeon at Cedars Sinai and the top valve surgeon at UCLA, is that at my age I could only expect 10 years out of a tissue valve, based on the current evidence. I might get lucky and get more because of the “hope” that Resilia will last longer, but there is no data to support that it will actually last longer, as they only have 5 years of human data published for this new valve. Also, getting a TAVR in the next surgery is not a certainty. They need to evaluate you for TAVR and not all qualify, for reasons such as uneven calcium build up on the tissue valve. I was evaluated for TAVR for my first surgery, just so that I was aware of all my options. Echo confirmed that I was not a candidate due to uneven calcium deposits on my native valve.
Anyway, the choice is yours and only yours. There are pros and cons for each valve. I don’t share the above info to try to sway you, but just to share the evolution of my thought process. The important thing is to make the decision based on which is the best choice for you. Whatever you decide, we will all be here to support you and cheer you through your recovery.
