Adam’s Heart Valve Surgery Blog

I know I typically write about all things related to heart valve replacement and heart valve repair.

However, I can’t get over what’s happening to my wallet… It’s shrinking right before my very eyes.

There’s obviously no need for me to rant-and-rave about the first G of inflation… GAS! We hear about it. We read about it. It’s all over the news. And, every time we fill up our cars, SUVs and trucks, that little voice in the back of our brain screams aloud, “OH MY GAWD!”, as the price goes up-and-up-and up. In fact, with gas prices up 20% since last June, my local gas station cuts me off when I reach $75 at the pump. A trip to Costco doesn’t make it any easier. Lines for cheaper gas are always nine-to-ten cars deep.

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There never seems to be a shortage of inspirational emails waiting for me in my inbox.

Recently, I exchanged emails with Robin, a fellow patient recently diagnosed with aortic stenosis. As you can read, this is the second major health issue for Robin. Several years ago Robin fought cancer (Hodgkin’s lymphoma).

In her note to me, Robin mentioned something that I had never heard before - the negative impact of radiation on heart valve function. Specifically, Robin noted that her medical team believes that her stenotic valve was caused by radiation treatments used to fight the cancer.

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The list of public figures experiencing heart valve surgery continues to grow…

Jim Lehrer, the longtime anchor of “The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer,” PBS’s evening newscast, underwent successful heart valve surgery on Wednesday.

“Jim plans to be back at full speed and on the program within a few weeks,” the network said on Thursday. A spokeswoman for Mr. Lehrer said he first felt ill on April 18 and checked into the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Substitute hosts will fill in on the show while he recovers.

Other well known personalities to have heart valve replacement or heart valve repair include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Helms, Charlie Rose, Rodney Dangerfield, Teppo Numminen and Ronny Turiaf.

Keep on tickin Jim!

Adam Pick is a double heart valve replacement patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery, a unique book which integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of an actual heart valve surgery patient.

As a follow-up to my post about pig valve transplants, I received a specific question, “Do you know exactly how long a pig valve might last in the human heart?”

It’s a good question for patients to consider as they determine which is the best valve type for them - biological (pig valve, cow valve) or mechanical.

According to Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld, “Pig heart valves do not last as long as mechanical valves and for that reason are not usually implanted in patients much younger than 60 years.”

Dr. Rosenfeld continues, “Although recent reports from The Cleveland Clinic (whose surgeons have a great deal of experience replacing heart valves) suggest that the newer biological valves often last 17 years or longer, they frequently must be replaced after 15 years. So, except in unusual circumstances, younger patients still are given a mechanical valve.”

I hope that helps explain more about how long pig heart valves last in the human heart.

Keep on tickin!

I just received a question that reads, “Adam, can you tell me more about pig valve transplants? My surgeon thinks that is the best valve choice for me.”

Sure thing. However, I want to make sure that you know there are a other options for tissue (also called biological) valve replacements besides pig valve transplants. The four key types of biological valve replacements are:

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