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Diagnosis: Aortic Stenosis, Bicuspid Aortic Valve

Member Since: September 27, 2017

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John Dodson got a guestbook from Laura T.

8 years ago (January 8, 2018)

Great job, John! Here's to your good health and a Happy New Year!!

John Dodson got a guestbook from Bonnie

8 years ago (January 3, 2018)

I love your attitude and your sense of humor, John. You just keep on dancin'!!

John Dodson got a guestbook from Anna Jones

8 years ago (January 2, 2018)

Thank you for posting the two links regarding mechanical valve v biologic valve. Has your research indicated whether porcine or bovine valve is a better option?

John Dodson

8 years ago (January 2, 2018)

Hi Anna, I did some research and I'll copy the link below for a paper that surveyed almost 10,000 patients and gave a slight advantage to bovine. I'm not sure why a surgeon would recommend porcine, but they still do - maybe it is a size thing. My understanding is... Read more.

Aortic valve replacement: is porcine or bovine valve better? - PubMed - NCBI

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23211215

Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2013 Mar;16(3):361-73. doi: 10.1093/icvts/ivs447. Epub 2012 Dec 4. Review

John Dodson

8 years ago (January 2, 2018)

Here is the Wiki article - it is excellent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pericardial_heart_valves

Pericardial heart valves - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pericardial_heart_valves

The pericardial heart valve was invented by Marian Ionescu, a British surgeon working at the General Infirmary in Leeds, England.[1] He created this artificial bioprosthetic heart valve as a three-cusp structure made of chemically treated bovine pericardium attached to a Dacron cloth-covered titanium frame.[2]

Anna Jones

8 years ago (January 2, 2018)

Thank you very much.

Peggy Whitecotton

8 years ago (January 2, 2018)

My surgeon prefers bovine over porcine valves. He said he hasn't used porcine in about 7 years and feels bovine is more durable and last longer.

Gerald Poulton

8 years ago (January 2, 2018)

Some of it does depend on the position of the valve, for aortic valve replacement, bovine seems to be the present choice. When I found out I needed a valve replacement my cardiologist and surgeon basically told me at 65 years young that I needed a mechanical valve, my research... Read more.

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