B
Beverly
Does anyone know the life expectancy of a St. Judes Valve and what the signs of failure might be?
Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:
Ross
Well-known member
http://www.sjm.com/4.0/4.2/4.2.shtm
You can find answers to FAQ's at the link above.
How long will the valve last?
The St. Jude Medical® mechanical heart valve is made of graphite and coated with pyrolytic carbon. Studies have shown that the valve will not wear out during the patient's lifetime. However, if there are problems with blood clot formation, the valve may need to be replaced.
But a tissue valve, which is composed of living tissue, may have a shorter life span than a mechanical valve. The symptoms of valve failure may be the same symptoms you experienced before surgery (e.g., shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, fatigue, fluid retention). If one or more of these symptoms occur, notify your physician.
You can find answers to FAQ's at the link above.
How long will the valve last?
The St. Jude Medical® mechanical heart valve is made of graphite and coated with pyrolytic carbon. Studies have shown that the valve will not wear out during the patient's lifetime. However, if there are problems with blood clot formation, the valve may need to be replaced.
But a tissue valve, which is composed of living tissue, may have a shorter life span than a mechanical valve. The symptoms of valve failure may be the same symptoms you experienced before surgery (e.g., shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, fatigue, fluid retention). If one or more of these symptoms occur, notify your physician.
Last edited:
Nancy
Well-known member
Hi Bev-
Call your cardiologist about any problems you might be experiencing. He can do an echocardiogram to see exactly what is going on with the valve, and then if need be a TEE.
If you have any symptoms at all, please call him/her. It's important. Don't sit around worrying about it, let the experts assess the siruation, that's their job.
Here's a link for a brief description of different valve problems and the symptoms:
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/23659.html
Call your cardiologist about any problems you might be experiencing. He can do an echocardiogram to see exactly what is going on with the valve, and then if need be a TEE.
If you have any symptoms at all, please call him/her. It's important. Don't sit around worrying about it, let the experts assess the siruation, that's their job.
Here's a link for a brief description of different valve problems and the symptoms:
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/23659.html
MarkU
Well-known member
Other than the risks associated with clotting, my surgeon told me that the risk of valve failure was minimal. As with any man-made mechanical device, there is some risk of catastrophic failure, but that would be extremely unlikely.
I was told that I should expect to get at least thirty years out of mine.
I was told that I should expect to get at least thirty years out of mine.
Hank
VR.com Founder, Now just a Member
St. Jude Valve Life Expectancy
St. Jude Valve Life Expectancy
I read someplace that the valve was placed in a test jig of some sort and given the eguivalent of 250 years of abuse before failure. Don't remember where I read that though
. I would think that clotting problems and the average human life span would be the limiting factors and not the life of the actual mechanical valve.
St. Jude Valve Life Expectancy
I read someplace that the valve was placed in a test jig of some sort and given the eguivalent of 250 years of abuse before failure. Don't remember where I read that though
. I would think that clotting problems and the average human life span would be the limiting factors and not the life of the actual mechanical valve.
JimL
Well-known member
From the website, http://www.csmc.edu/cvs/md/valve/default.htm, featured at the first page of this site:
"Durability: A few cases of disc fracture reported, most were probably due to surgical trauma during implantation. Estimated MTBF > 1,572*. "
"* Estimated Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF): in hundreds of years, from Grunkemeier et al. Prosthetic Heart Valve Performance: Long-term follow-up. Curr Prob Cardiol 1992;17:table 5, pg 357."
I'm not sure if I believe the full amount of 157,200 years for my St. Jude's valve, but a fraction of that will do.
"Durability: A few cases of disc fracture reported, most were probably due to surgical trauma during implantation. Estimated MTBF > 1,572*. "
"* Estimated Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF): in hundreds of years, from Grunkemeier et al. Prosthetic Heart Valve Performance: Long-term follow-up. Curr Prob Cardiol 1992;17:table 5, pg 357."
I'm not sure if I believe the full amount of 157,200 years for my St. Jude's valve, but a fraction of that will do.
P
Perrster
I'm counting on my St. Jude's to outlive me for sure!!! Nancy
Well-known member
Well, I've got to add kudos for Joe's St. Jude mitral and his old behemoth Bjork-Shiley aortic. They took a masive beating and kept on ticking during his recent gallbladder bleedout. He was even off anticoagulation for over a week. His Guidant pacemaker deserves applause also.
Without them, he wouldn't have fared too well.
Without them, he wouldn't have fared too well.
Z
Zipper
LOL Bonnie...that was cute...I wish that for you, too!
Zipper
Zipper
I, Rain, take this St. Jude valve to be my....
I, Rain, take this St. Jude valve to be my....
Hey Granbonny,
You know, it?s kind of a ?love/hate? relationship I have with mine....
But when I decided to share my heart with it........ I was hoping it would be for life! lol
Rain
I, Rain, take this St. Jude valve to be my....
Hey Granbonny,
You know, it?s kind of a ?love/hate? relationship I have with mine....
But when I decided to share my heart with it........ I was hoping it would be for life! lol
Rain
S
Special K
Bev,
Bev,
According to my surgeon, the st judes is good for life. Which is why he gave me one at 36. He said if there ever had to be another procedure it may be 30 years from now, if ever, and would probably by that time be done robotically without going in through the chest.
Bev,
According to my surgeon, the st judes is good for life. Which is why he gave me one at 36. He said if there ever had to be another procedure it may be 30 years from now, if ever, and would probably by that time be done robotically without going in through the chest.
St Jude Mechanical
St Jude Mechanical
St Jude Mechanical's are supposed to be good for life. The number one cause of clotting which can lead to failure is inadequate anticoagulation. That is why it is so important to keep up to date with anticoagulation protocol's. Unfortunately a lot of physicians don't keep up with the protocol's.
St Jude Mechanical
St Jude Mechanical's are supposed to be good for life. The number one cause of clotting which can lead to failure is inadequate anticoagulation. That is why it is so important to keep up to date with anticoagulation protocol's. Unfortunately a lot of physicians don't keep up with the protocol's.
