Tricuspid Regurgitation, Joined January 21, 2020
Tricuspid Regurgitation
Joined January 21, 2020
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Aortic Regurgitation
July 11, 2025
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Mitral Regurgitation
September 1, 2025
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Mitral Regurgitation
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This book has helped over 47,000 patients and caregivers from diagnosis to recovery.
On a happier note, my wonderful youngest son, Matthew is 20 today! He has been such a wonderful, sweet, kind, loving son, and am so grateful for him. Cannot believe it has been 20 year already. He is my baby, I also have a 39 year old daughter and 35 year old son.
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy 4th week
Continued prayers! And Happy Birthday to your son!
Most of the devices ar a nitinol (nickel/titanium). I am not allergic to titanium, but the nickel can possibly leach I guess. The manufaturer actually says if you read your specific device that ifyou have a nickel allergy it is contraindicated in using the device. You can look up the exact ingredients in your device to find out. I am just surprised that everyone is not tested for metal allergies before any inplanted device for anything, not just heart valves. The allergies to componants can cause adverse reactions and complications after, whether it shows up in a few days or months. Not to wory anyone, but it is just good practice for Drs and Surgeons to be proactive before implanting these things. I also know a lot of people allergic to nickel. I am glad I did not have the knee replacement they wanted me to have last year because when I looked into it, I realised that they also use a lot of the same things. My mother did great with her two knee replacements, but she has no skin allergies.
There really are not any other devices that can be used that are FDA approved or other trials at this time for nickel free options that I can find. I will find out Monday what they are thinking for my situation, maybe open heart repair?
Melinda,
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Most of the devices ar a nitinol (nickel/titanium). I am not allergic to titanium, but the nickel can possibly leach I guess. The manufaturer actually says if you read your specific device that ifyou have a nickel allergy it is contraindicated in using the device. You can look up the exact ingredients in your device to find out. I am just surprised that everyone is not tested for metal allergies before any inplanted device for anything, not just heart valves. The allergies to componants can cause adverse reactions and complications after, whether it shows up in a few days or months. Not to wory anyone, but it is just good practice for Drs and Surgeons to be proactive before implanting these things. I also know a lot of people allergic to nickel. I am glad I did not have the knee replacement they wanted me to have last year because when I looked into it, I realised that they also use a lot of the same things. My mother did great with her two knee replacements, but she has no skin allergies.
There really are not any other devices that can be used that are FDA approved or other trials at this time for nickel free options that I can find. I will find out Monday what they are thinking for my situation, maybe open heart repair?
Melinda,
"Patch Testing" is from either an allergist or dermotologist that does it, is how you find out things you are allegic to. I just had it done because I mentioned it in MyChart and saw the trial they wanted me to get into had a device with nitinol in it, so asked for testing.
I have known I had allergies to nickel from my teen years whenever I would wear costume jewelry or even higher end jewelry, as so many things contain nickel. I was not given any testing back then, but family Dr saifd that was what it was. Thosw were the days when your family Dr would diagnose you and not always send you to a million specialists. I had a platinum wedding ring when I was married (divorced for 14 years now) and have been able to find other jewelry like rings and make my own earrings from surgical steel hooks (even those can contain a little nickel, but I never wear earrings overnight). The surprising thing is that the testing found a much stronger allergy to gold (Goldsodiumthiosulfate, found in electronics, ceramics, dental and jewelry) and something called pottasium dicyanoaurate (found in dental fillings, jewelry and electronics) Most of the devices for valve replacements have some form of nickel, which I am less allergic to, but did show a mild reaction at one week follow up after patch testing (delayed reaction).