Worth a try....

[BDMc]

The Sooner The Better

The Sooner The Better

Magic Ball, I think it's a good idea to get it done ASAP! I don't worry about warfarin/coumadin, and don't think you should. Listen to Tonia.As a matter of fact I was just wishing I had a motorcycle... What kind is it? As for the kids, find some way to confidently express how much you love them, so that they have that no matter what happens. I suspect you'll do very well. Brian

 

[Magic8Ball]

I was just wishing I had a motorcycle... What kind is it?

It's a no-name Korean 250cc race bike called a Hyosung GT250R in black....here in WA they restrict the bike size you can have for the first 12 months after you get your licence....my 12 months was up in November and i'd just started shopping for a new one and was looking at the new honda CBR600RR or the new Suzuki GSX750 but all thats out the window now.....guess i'll just have to get back into 4WDing (pity i sold it 6 months ago when i fell in love with biking) but he ho, some you win, some you loose. At least i got to ride around like a thug for 10 months having a blast....i may get back into it in my late 40's once the kids have grown up and are self sufficient.

I'm still experiencing a positive up wave at the moment, kinda glad it was found instead of the alternative, when to these dips of depression start?

 

[StretchL]

Magic8

Magic8

Don't write off a bioprosthesis, rather than mechanical valve, until you speak with your surgeon about it as an option, and do some research yourself. Here in the US, the Cleveland Clinic is the top cardiovascular surgery hospital going... they may be the best in the world... and 65% of the valves they put in are bioprosthetic (pig or cow). 35% are mechanical.

At least one of their surgeons, Gosta Pettersson, has written and will tell you that the risks of "lifelong" coumidin are greater than those of re-operations. But the bioprosthetics are thought to only last 10-15 years. So that's the question- lifelong Coumidin v. re-op.

I just spent a lot of time researching my own upcoming surgery, and, while there's a difference of opinion here on this site, I think it's fair to say that the cost/benefit ratio for liefelong coumidin is not a closed case in the medical community, from what I've found.

 

[aussigal]

. At least i got to ride around like a thug for 10 months having a blast....i may get back into it in my late 40's once the kids have grown up and are self sufficient.



I'm still experiencing a positive up wave at the moment, kinda glad it was found instead of the alternative, when to these dips of depression start?

1....have you had any major crashes yet?...I dont know if you really have to give biking up...

2....maybe never if youre lucky!...or...maybe as soon as you have booked your date with Dr. John , I panicked all the way home that day., next day I was fine again. Its good to have faith in your team.

 

[catwoman]

Magic:

A co-worker & her hubby ride motorcycles a lot -- all over the United States; her hubby is a motorcycle police officer in the Dallas-Fort Worth Texas area.
She said they've only had one spill in (my guess) 25+ years, and that was just scrapes. Said they hit a slick spot on a narrow road.
He picked her up at work for lunch one day and I saw them take off, both wearing helmets.
If you're a safety-conscious cyclist and wear a helmet, why not continue riding, even on warfarin?

 

[Magic8Ball]

Don't write off a bioprosthesis, rather than mechanical valve, until you speak with your surgeon about it as an option, and do some research yourself. Here in the US, the Cleveland Clinic is the top cardiovascular surgery hospital going... they may be the best in the world... and 65% of the valves they put in are bioprosthetic (pig or cow). 35% are mechanical.

Yeh, i have a list of questions to ask the surgeon. The thing with my situation is that my bicuspid valve is actually functioning well at the moment and doesn't need replaced. If it wasn't for the aorta above it would be there for years yet.

So my question is as you hint, whats the risk if i just have the aorta replaced and keep my crappy little valve for as long as it works....does this mean re-operation in 3/5/9/15 years or is it just pot luck, would the operation tend to cause a greater risk of infection in the valve post op and require a re-op very soon. What improvements would it give me with quality of life and recovery and what does it do to the success ratio of future ops....i seem to be picking up that re-ops are to be avoided as much as possible as the odds drop with each one.

I guess things will become much clearer over the comming weeks when i get to speak to the surgeon himself and stop asking 'dr google' whats going on.

Regards.

 

[OldManEmu]

David Procedure

David Procedure

Magic8Ball, with any of these procedures there are no guarantees. However with a David procedure if you are evaluated properly, it should only be done if the surgeon thinks it will last at least as long as a tissue valve. This can usually only be determined once they are in there, so it is important to have a plan B if the David can't be performed. The valve can also be cleaned up at the same time. Because you keep your own valve there is no need for ACT and also native valve endocarditis if you are unlucky enough to get it is easier to treat than prosthetic valve endocarditis. Your BAV may actually last your entire lifetime despite us having a lot of members with a BAV, given that 2% of the population are owners of a BAV most never have a problem with it.