I need a heart valve replacement, mechanical or organic, mechanical lasts longer but the rest of my life

[Shellback Squid]

Last edited Sun Mar 24, 2024, 06:47 PM - Edit history (1)

on warfarin, organic ( pig or cow based) but a shorter functional life and much less invasive and a very short recuperation
(a few days via a cath versus six months after cracking my chest )
Not sure what to do, any advice from anyone in dealt similar circumstances?
I'm 61, decent health and no build up of plaque in my arteries, recent catheter cam showed I'm very good.

First update:

Scheduled for Tuesday morning, getting a bovine based valve but via open heart, I can get a femoral transported valve when I might need one in 15 yrs

thank you for your kind thoughts and recommendations, hopefully I will be posting about the success in eight days

[marybourg]

1. Do your doctors prefer one over the other for you?

[Shellback Squid]

3. yes, mechanical as it lasts longer, organic is harder to replace and i will be older with a much riskier recovery when

it fails.

[marybourg]

9. That sounds like a wise choice for you. Maybe different for a 40 year old.

But yes. I’m 82 and just bought my, hopefully, last hvac unit. I made sure it was a high enough quality that I wouldn’t have to replace it again in my late 90’s, if still alive. Best of luck, whatever you decide. Keep us posted.

[applegrove]

2. My dad was on warfarin (coumadin) after a blood clot.

He just needed to get tested to see what the levels were in his blood every few weeks or so. He saw his clot doctor once a year. Other than that warfarin wasn't a pain. He didn't eat the dark green veggies he was told to avoid.

Sounds like quite the choice.

[Shellback Squid]

4. Yes, putting off death to a later date can be a hard decision

mortality!?

[applegrove]

5. I'm almost 60. These older years go by so fast. I am not you.

Last edited Sat Mar 16, 2024, 06:00 AM - Edit history (2)

I would go for the longer term. But then again they might have a third option in a few years you could do. But I say do it! Listen to your doctors.

[snpsmom]

6. Is eliquis

an option for drug treatment post surgery? It’s often less problematic than warfarin.

[hlthe2b]

7. I would really discuss this with your cardiologists. I do remember that Arnold Schwarzenegger ultimately

chose a pig heart--albeit he could have had individualized reasons for doing so (and, of course, can afford all future care and procedures without concern--something most of us have to worry about)...

Best wishes. But I'd listen to your physicians and then do what is best for you.

[Joinfortmill]

8. Prayers for a successful procedure.

[Shellback Squid]

10. Thank you for the input, I will discuss this with my Cardiologist on Monday, i hope.

[sybylla]

11. My grandfather and mother in law both had mechanical valves.

They both were on warfarin and fared very well their whole lives. Both had heart conditions due to Rheumatic Fever as teenagers.

My grandfather had his mechanical valve surgery in 1972 at the age of 48 and said his heart was stronger and he felt better every year he was alive. He died in 1988 due to pancreatic cancer, which though detected early because of the blood thinner going wonky, did not respond to treatment. As for blood thinner, he did have occasional issues with bloody noses.

My mother in law had a heart valve repair in 1963, which involved a strategically placed set of sutures. Then in 1988 she had it replaced with a mechanical valve at the age of 55. She had other health issues as she aged, but her heart was not one of them when she died at the age of 80. She never seemed to have an issue with warfarin other than easy bruising.

There are better blood thinners out there now. My father takes a blood thinner due to having a blood clot in his leg a decade ago. He started on warfarin, but his doctor switched him to a new one that requires less tweaking and is less influenced by illness or foods.

[Warpy]

12. I've seen the organic valves in younger patients

(which you are) mostly when they live in the back and beyond of a reservation and wouldn't be able to do the frequent follow up visits at one of the clinics there. The valves can last up to 10 years but rarely more than that and not much more.

In your case, you'll be able to do the follow up and there would be less of it once you're on a stable warfarin dose.

What you need to consider is ruining your life for a few weeks now or waiting 10 years to ruin your life with a mechanical valve replacement. I can guarantee you'll bounce back from surgery a lot better at 61 than you will at 71, if you can even get the surgery by then. This is also something you need to consider.

Also, if you have the mechanical valve, you are going to need help at home. Hospital stays are shockingly short these days, you'll be up and walking as soon as you're breathing on your own and home 5 days later, average stay. You're not going to be ready to fend for yourself, there will be all sorts of activity restrictions for a few weeks. You'll need someone to drive, shop, take out the garbage, stuff like that.

Whickever option you choose, good luck and speedy recovery.