MANJU's Journal

Rita Savelis  I have 2 mechanical valves. The ticking noise was more prominent at first. One is so aware of one's heart right after OHS. But starting a few months later (and now it's 6 years later) I didn't notice the ticking anymore. I only hear it very rarely when the room is very very very quiet. I used to put a pillow over my chest to make me less aware, and also because I felt so exposed and vulnerable. The first months, year after OHS can be difficult. Also, it's best not to compare with others because everyone is singular and everyone's heart is different and everyone's normal is different and not everyone has the same choices. I found it easy to become jealous of others on this site who had seemingly easy recoveries with no problems at all. But I think many don't express everything. Take care. It's not easy to be the caretaker.

Lisa Coombe  I’ve had mine 4 months and it’s quite, only hear it when there is no background noise, my partners one is louder then my one

Dave Raynor  This is the very discussion I had on a Zoom session with my head surgeon six weeks before surgery. He laid out all the possibilities. We even talked about sending me back to the Cleveland Clinic to have my organic aortic valve saved. To replace 3CM on my aortic root but my surgeon right on top of the aortic valve and I was told it would be hard to save. He mentioned my only chance would have been to have the procedure done at the Cleveland Clinic but that was not to be. Too many hoops to jump through. We got it down to between the mechanical valve, which he told me I would hear a clicking sound and be on Warfarin for life. So we went with the Edwards Lifesciences tissue valve. I can hear the pulse of it working but no clicking. I'm afraid, at this point in the game, it is just something you're going to have to get used to. Kind of like living near train tracks. The upside is that mechanical valve will outlast you where as my tissue valve has a lifespan of 15 to 20 years max. I will be 69 in a couple of weeks so I think it's apples and apples.

Suzanne Finn  Almost 4 years post surgery with placement of Onyx aortic valve. The sound does seem to lessen over time. I mostly could hear mine if I turned my head a certain way or when I first laid down to sleep. Hang in there, it will get better.

Meredith Bray  I've had mine 7.5 years. Sometimes I hear it, sometimes I don't. It does seem much quieter than when I first got it. Hubby doesn't hear it unless I'm positioned in a certain way, like with my arm up over my head with my chest pointed toward him and my mouth open. But other times he can hear it across the room. It is a source of comfort to me to hear it. If I need to calm down and I can't hear it, I'll go somewhere quiet and chill until I can isolate the noise and calm down. I also was not offered any options other than valve replacement. It does get better!

Michael Day  I do 6 yrs now and hate it. So loud and I had a prosthetic patient mismatch so my valve gradient is back to 40 so I'm going with the tissue this time. I am 36 yrs old and will be having my 4th surgery now.

MANJU Kumar  Thanks for the insight everyone! Really appreciate it. I am 32 y/o and my partner who received the valve is 31 y/o, given his age the doctors recommended the mechanical valve as if he got the tissue valve he would've had to have this surgery multiple times in his lifetime. As he was told to have this surgery within this year, he was less inclined to jumping through hoops and second opinions as we both have very busy work scheduled. I feel like he may have qualified for the Ross procedure if we researched a bit more and I know that procedure helps make the valve last longer than the tissue valve. Again, it might have been a complicated procedure. He is only 1 month post opp. So we both definitely hear the valve pretty consistently. I'm glad to see some comments saying it get's better with time. So really hoping that's the case. I know as a partner, I should not have anxiety over this but given I'm around him the most and hear it pretty much all the time, I'm starting to have some anxiety over this. Don't get me wrong, I'm super happy he is healthy and came out of everything with a successful outcome. But can't seem to control my anxiety around the constant clicking noise.

@michael sorry to hear! That is frustrating and I feel you. Good luck with the next surgery and tissue valve, hopefully you have some great success after that.