What is the most quiet of valves

[wlaldridge]

I have one of the "new" St. Jude" regent valves in the aortic position.



Like Kim, I hear it in the confines of a small ceramic lined bath room and interestingly when I stand close to the window in our back door waiting for the dogs to come back in. The sound is "reflected" from smooth hard surfaces is my guess.

I think Johnny has a great idea try a ticking watch in your shirt pocket. I doubt that you will have it picked up by the mic.

My echo tech has told me she hears people with valves in supermarkets, etc. She is tuned to these things.

My family have all heard my valve since I take them to a quiet place and have them listen for it, but it is not real loud.

Last weekend I was helping my son open his computer and as I bent over him he heard the valve but initially thought it was a watch.

Interestingly, all of the times that I hear the valve, I have no shirt on or only a light tee shirt. Layers of clothing probably muffle the sound a lot.

I bet your microphones will not pick it up. I will see if I can get mine recorded.

 

[terry40]

I have a noisy mechanical valve...

I have a noisy mechanical valve...

My kids and I can hear it, I can hear it all the time, they say you get use to it, or are able to ignore it, whatever, it hasn't happened yet.

I think that's why they give you a medical card with your valve info, incase you're sitting next to a stranger, say on an airplane, and they hear you tick-tick-ticking???

Terry40

 

[Cleojoan]

Valve Noise

Valve Noise

Hey William,
I have a St. Jude valve in the aortic position that was recalled the first year that it was implanted. The noise in minimal except in the pool. My family says I can be heard ticking under water.
About the recall, I have it checked every six months. So far, so good. I think mine is okay.

Take care,
Joni

 

[lcwhitney]

St Jude Valves

St Jude Valves

From what my doctor Coselli told me these new St.Jude valves a very quiet. The old one could be heard across the room without a stethoscope. I have a ST. Jude valve and unless you get right above it you can't hear it. Try putting your mic a little to the right and see if that keeps you from picking up that very small clicking noise. I also have a homograft pulmonary valve that cannot be heard at all.
Lettitia

 

[TSH]

William,

I have a St. Jude valve (one of the recalled, Silzone ones) in the aortic position. It is very quiet. I rarely hear it except under the circumstances mentioned by some of the others.

I have an interesting story about a lav mic. I have a friend that has a St. Jude valve in the mitral position. She and I have shared our experiences relating to our surgeries, coumadin, ticking, etc. My friend was the mayor of a small town. She told me that one time she was hooked up to lav mic one time for some sort of press conference. The audio people did pick up the "ticking." But she said the problem was easily remedied, probably by simply repositioning the mic.

 

[Ticker]

Hello, this is my first post but something I can relate to.

I had a St Jude mechanical mitral valve put in in May of 1998, when I was 32. It is loud. There is no other way of putting it. My wife can hear it across the room with a general conversation going on. I have trained people at work who have asked what kind of watch I am wearing that is so loud (you should see their faces when I tell them what it really is), I hear it all the time and I cant even play hide and seek with my kids (son 7 and daughter 4) cause the just listen for the "clicking" and find me every time. This also goes for sneaking up on my wife or the kids............they can literally hear me coming.

Just my .02 worth

 

[Bill Hall]

Ticker - Just wanted to welcome you to the site. In contrast, I have a homograft in the aortic position and a mitral repair. Can't beat that for quiet.

 

[Les]

My 27mm St. Jude is loud as hell...and I wouldn't have it any other way. Lets me know every moment it works for me.
_____________________
Les AVR '93 / '95

 

[Ticker]

Barrett, I know excatly what you mean.
When I am not feeling well, my kids will come up an dput their ear to my chest, tell me to be quiet for a few secods and then say, "Dad, you're still ticking. You're all right."

It does have it advantages as well, after our daughter was born and she would be crying for no known reason, I would simply lay her on my chest and let listen to the "click, click, click..." she would calm down, relax and go to sleep. Similar to placing a wind up clock under a pillow/blanket for a new puppy.

 

[wlaldridge]

Jim, Funny you should mention it.

A couple of months back I put up a thread about a mission to rescue a pup from the shelter for my wife as a lap dog.

Interestingly the little dog prefers my lap and I mentioned in one of the posts how she attends to my ticking and I volunteered as a substitute clock for lonsome puppies.

The little dog still likes to lay her head near my heart but she also has a strong attraction to action shows on TV. Never had a dog that actually "watched TV" before.

Anyway the ticking is relatively minor and comforting to me and the pup.

Les, I think my St. Jude must be quieter than yours, very seldom does it seem "loud" and since my heartrate is about 60-67 is seems like a clock or watch and is timed similarly.
I do agree with you 100%,
As every one says, "it sure beats the alternative" no pun intended regarding "beats"

Best.

 

[wlaldridge]

BTW, Jim,

Welcome to the site,

I almost missed the fact that you were new here. wonderful place and people you will find.

I am a fugitive from Michigan, Dundee was my hometown and lived in Ann Arbor, Flint, Lansing and then Marquette and Iron Mountain becoming a real frozen ice pop. Anyway you will find many here that share your experience and understand where you are coming from.

Thanks for joining in and sharing your experience and knowledge with this great community.

Best,
Bill

 

[epstns]

Dogs

Dogs

Hi to all and a comment for Bill:

Yes, dogs do watch television! We used to have a wonderful little Shih-Tzu and his fovorite program (no kidding!) was Benji!

Little guy would sit at attention and watch, wandering around the rec room during the commercials, looking for "snacks."

Gotta Love 'em!

 

[Gail in Ca]

I am thinking that my carbomedics valve is pretty noisy. However, my husband can rarely hear it.
The porcine valve I had for 11 yrs has no sound at all, just like your own human valve.
Sometimes when lying in bed I still feel like I'm in an echo chamber it is so loud.
When I had to play a solo in my wind ensemble, I thought the musicians next to me must've heard my loud valve, as it was sooo loud to me, ( I was nervous and it was ticking, thumping,ugh)
But, they didn't hear it. So, maybe it just sounds loud to my ears, like it's in my throat sometimes, and no one else hears it.
Gail

 

[OldNick]

Mechanical Valve Noise

Mechanical Valve Noise

When I had my surgery in 1993, I was told I would hear my valves, aortic and mitral, but I only noticed the sound for a few days, and then, only when lying in bed. Now, the only people who comment on the sound are the nurses at my cardiologist's office, who have been trained to recognize the sound. I have St Jude mechanicals, vintage 1993, in both positions.

 

[Andrea]

Ticking across the room !?!?!?

Ticking across the room !?!?!?

My Doc just told me I am getting a St Judes for my Mytral in 3 weeks.

TICKING ACROSS THE ROOM DURING A CONVERSATION? And not being able to play hide and seek with the kids?

I had no idea this thing could be so loud! ugh.

Can I change my mind now? Hmm I bet Lazy Boy wont take back the $700 recliner. LOL

Geez and I guess ear plugs wont help either. Well maybe I'll just have 'TIMEX' tattooed to my forehead LOL.

 

[Ticker]

Andrea, dont fret it. I was concerned about getting the mechanical valve for that reason as well as having to be on coumadin for life. (I am not a fan of pill popping and dont care to see doc's for myself). After thinking of the alternative, a tissue valve that would most likely have to be replaced every 10 years, ie... at 42, 52, 62, 72 and perhaps even later. With all that scar tissue and surgical hassle, I can stand being a walking model for Timex.

It does have its advantages. You can take your pulse by counting to yourself the clicks. The nurse can take your pulse from across the room. If you wake up in the morning and hear the "ticking" you know you have to get up and go to work again. (Compaired to the alternative, this latter pro is not that bad Not to mention the wife knows when she is getting to me as the heart goes from"tick, tick tick" to sounding like a motorcycle, "varoooom...."

 

[Randall Beckwith]

Valve Ticking

Valve Ticking

I have a Medtronic Valve and I think it is very loud. Many "Lay-people" ask me what that ticking is? But My heart surgeon told me there was less chance of infection with a Medtroinc vs. a St. Jude in the first 5 years. Go figure. Regardless of what you believe or have been told, I'd rather be alive and ticking than?

Despite your career choice, the type of valve doesn't matter. Living matters. So you tick. It's a conversation piece. Don't worry and have your procedure and come back and tell us how your're doing. We're waiting on the edge of our seats!

Randy

 

[Herb M]

I have had a St. Jude mechanical since 1988. I do not hear the valve. When the room is quiet my wife can sometimes hear it when she is standing very close.

I think that one way for someone to see how load it is, is to visit someone with a mechanical valve and get first hand hearing.

 

[Tom Harrison]

I have a Sulzer Carbomedics valve and coming up on my one year anniversary. Someone on the site said they have a reputation for being noisy but are very reliable. Reliability seems good so the noise does not bother me. I can hear it at night as can my wife, she says it is soothing to her. It can also be heard in a quiet room by anyone standing near (I did some teaching to computer users and could be heard when I came up behind people) When I exercise taking a pulse is easy. The sound soon becomes a part of you and is a reasurance.

 

[medtronic of borg]

Carbomedics

Carbomedics

Mine is three years out and is very quite. I can't hear it at all.