My husband is having his aortic root replaced along with aortic valve. No stenosis. Aortic root aneurysm is at 5.5cm for over a year. He is 47. We are so confused ...Read more
My husband is having his aortic root replaced along with aortic valve. No stenosis. Aortic root aneurysm is at 5.5cm for over a year. He is 47. We are so confused on what route to go. Surgeon says to go with mechanical. But so many say biological is the way to go. Is there a place or study that easily breaks it down? Or someone here?
Danielle Elizabeth A Bovine valve will last 10-15 years. A mechanical can last forever. Mechanical will require anti ... Read more
Danielle Elizabeth A Bovine valve will last 10-15 years. A mechanical can last forever. Mechanical will require anticoagulants such as warfarin. Most hospitals have an anticoagulant program that checks in with patients to make sure their INR numbers are in check. I’ll attach a link about INR. In 10 years your husband will be 57, how will his health be then? Will he be able to withstand another open heart surgery? The tissue on his aortic root will be more pliable, will it make for a more challenging surgery if it’s repeated in the future? Does your husband have any sort of hepatic damage to his kidneys or liver? How is his kidney function and which posses a greater risk on hepatic function (anticoagulants or having a second open heart surgery if he decides biological?). These are questions I’d ask my surgeon because he or she will be looking at the MRI results, the blood work, other organ function, and an assessment of risks. There are pros and cons to both sides. I would find a surgeon I trust and allow them to do what they believe will produce the best outcome. It’s just an ethical and legal obligation to give patients a full range of choices. Ultimately, your husband will have to live with the limitations or benefits of either outcome! https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507707/
International normalized ratio (INR) is the preferred test of choice for patients taking vitamin K antagonists (VKA). It can also be used to assess the risk of bleeding or the coagulation status of the patients. Patients taking oral anticoagulants are required to monitor INR to adjust the VKA doses because these vary between patients. The INR is derived from prothrombin time (PT) which is calculated as a ratio of the patient’s PT to a control PT standardized for the potency of the thromboplastin reagent developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) using the following formula:
Ed Eller Hi Shannon. It is a big decision. I went through a similar situation several months ago. I listened t ... Read more
Ed Eller Hi Shannon. It is a big decision. I went through a similar situation several months ago. I listened to my cardiologist and my surgeon, did quite a lot of internet searching, used this forum extensively and talked to friends/acquaintances who are on Warfarin. Everyone has different lifestyle factors to consider but in the end I went with a Bentall procedure with a mechanical valve. You can see more details in my journal. I am now 6 weeks past surgery and doing very well.
I am from: Windsor
Mechanical will require anti ... Read more
Mechanical will require anticoagulants such as warfarin. Most hospitals have an anticoagulant program that checks in with patients to make sure their INR numbers are in check. I’ll attach a link about INR. In 10 years your husband will be 57, how will his health be then? Will he be able to withstand another open heart surgery? The tissue on his aortic root will be more pliable, will it make for a more challenging surgery if it’s repeated in the future? Does your husband have any sort of hepatic damage to his kidneys or liver? How is his kidney function and which posses a greater risk on hepatic function (anticoagulants or having a second open heart surgery if he decides biological?). These are questions I’d ask my surgeon because he or she will be looking at the MRI results, the blood work, other organ function, and an assessment of risks. There are pros and cons to both sides. I would find a surgeon I trust and allow them to do what they believe will produce the best outcome. It’s just an ethical and legal obligation to give patients a full range of choices. Ultimately, your husband will have to live with the limitations or benefits of either outcome! https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507707/