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Linda's Challenge: Can You Hear My Mechanical Heart Valve Replacement Tick?

Written By: Adam Pick, Patient Advocate, Author & Website Founder
Page Last Updated: June 5, 2025

As patients evaluate their heart valve replacement choices, one question patients often have about mechanical valves is, "Will I hear the valve tick?"

It's a great question. So you know, sound is one of the differences between mechanical valves and tissue valves. Mechanical valve replacements are known to make a ticking sound while tissue valves are silent.

To help you better understand the actual ticking sound of a mechanical valve, I filmed this impromptu video with Linda Kincaid, a patient from Indiana, who had a mechanical valve implanted last year.

Fyi... I could barely hear Linda's mechanical valve tick. To me, it sounded almost like a wrist watch ticking. Could you hear it? To leave a comment, scroll below!

Written by Adam Pick - Patient & Website Founder

Adam Pick is a heart valve patient and author of The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. In 2006, Adam founded HeartValveSurgery.com to educate and empower patients. This award-winning website has helped over 10 million people fight heart valve disease. Adam has been featured by the American Heart Association and Medical News Today.

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