Comments on: Top 5 Facts About Aortic Valve Replacement

By: Joel

Joel — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:53:50 +0000

Scott,

I will be having aortic valve replacement in October. I am leaning toward the tissue valve for the same reasons you mention.

I was wondering… Have you had any problems with your valve? My surgeon said the tissue valve could fail over time with the same symptoms as my own leaky valve. He projects a lifespan (for the valve – not me) of 12 to 15 years. That would put me at 68 years old having a second surgery.

Like you, I’m hoping for rapid progress in the technology!

Joel

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:21:30 +0000

Kebede,

I had aortic valve replacement surgery done at UCLA Medical Center 8 years ago (this October) at age 44 [I'm 51 now]. I chose the bovine valve, mainly because I wanted to avoid having to take coumadin (warfarin) for the rest of my life, and didn’t want to hear ticking in my chest or be limited in some way to resume my normal exercise program.
In addition, the coumadin would require regular lab tests and doctor visits–another drawback I wanted to avoid.

I have had no complications and was able to return to normal routines. Simple annual checkups and an aspirin each day–that’ it. My doctor says my valve may last 15-18 years…Will have to wait and see. I’m not looking forward to a second surgery, but at least these years have been free from any side effects due to warfarin. By the time I need another surgery, I’m hoping for a new technology to have been developed.

Hope that helps.

By: Kebede

Kebede — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:50:35 +0000

I read your articles, at this page and some time in the past. I gives me a good knowledge of the procedure. I am a candidate for an aortic valve replacement. I am planning it sometime in september. I am fit at the moment but I lose energy without any tangible reason. I didnot make up my mind which type of vale to focus on. I am 55 years of adge. How releable is the On-x valve with reduced walfarin? how about the one from the cow?
Please extend to me any valuable ideas.

Thank you,

By: Sean R.

Sean R. — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:37:17 +0000

One additional causes of a leaky aortic valve: having a bicuspid aortic valve, which is congenital (i.e., born with it). Over time a bicuspid aortic valve may present problems. My valve was diagnosed as leaky at age 28. Nothing had to be done until the leak got worse, which was 32 years later at age 60. And btw, none of my doctors realized it was bicuspid until I had the surgery to replace it (with a friendly, trouble-free bovine tissue valve.)
Save the cows! Eat mor chikin. Oh wait, a cow was sacrificed for his or her pericardium to make my valve (and others, probably.) Poor cow; lucky me.