Please tell me your experience with Aortic Valve Repair or Replacement.?
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I had my mitral valve replaced 4 years ago. Same surgery, just a different valve. They could not repair my valve so I had to have mine replaced. I chose the St Jude Mechanical Valve. I chose a mechanical valve because they are more durable and last much longer. If you do have to have yours replaced, go with the one that will last the longest because you do not want to have to go through the surgery more than once if possible. I was only 37 at the time. The post op pain and suffering was not what I call really pain, it is an undescribable soreness (from where they break open your breast bone). You are so sore that it hurts. I am just telling you the truth, not trying to scare you. I did not take pain medications but for 9 days only when I was in the hospital. When I got home I did not need them at all, but I was still EXTREMELY sore for a while. I could not lay flat down for 2 months because it is impossible to get back up with a broken breast bone. Someone had to push me up if I got too far down in the recliner, etc. I slept in a recliner for about 2 months.
Before I had the surgery, and the day I went in for the surgery I was not scared at all, but after the surgery for some reason I became scared to death! I was very emotional after the surgery I think because I was scared, and also the doctor told me it was from the anesthesia. Either way, I was very emotional and scared for about a month and very tearful at times, but that does not happen with everyone. This is just my personal experience.
If you choose a mechanical valve, you will hear it ticking. You get use to this. At first you hear it all the time because you are not use to it. But after a while, you forget about it or you don't pay it much attention anymore. Now I listen for it to make sure it is ticking because I do forget about it sometimes. One draw back fo a mechanical valve is If you do choose a mechanical valve you will have to be on Coumadin for the rest of your life and you will have monthly finger pricks to make sure your Coumadin level is where it should be. Coumadin is a blood thinner so clots will not develop on the valve or elsewhere. I would rather take the Coumadin though and instead of having to have the surgery again. Because I was young at the time I may have to have a another replacement, but the one I have now is suppose to last for 30-40 years. I truly hope it does!!
For a while you will feel like you will never feel better again, but you will, it takes time to heal.
They will have you walk a lot and go through cardiac rehab. This does help. At first it is painful to walk but keep pushing and keep trying. You will have a heart pillow that you will hold on to when you walk across your chest. I say it hurt the worst when I had to sneeze or cough, that was painful, but holding on to your pillow helps with this. That pillow will become your buddy.
These are just some of my personal experiences. I feel great now and doing fine. I do have to have regular check ups but this just comes with the territory.
Best wishes to you.
Do they still do that? My dad had that done in 1972, when it was still more or less experimental.
He was in ICU for a week and then another week in the hospital. I bet it is a lot quicker now.
He had an enlarged heart and I don't think any of his heart was in very good shape.
We could hear it click inside him.
A blood clot developled and broke loose and he died about 3 monthes later from that at age of 52. I'm sure you don't want to hear that, but that's what happened.
He was in the doctor's office for a check up and it happened there. So he had every chance to survive.
I think now they have a lot better blood thinners and a lot better tests and procedures all together.
So he was a guinea pig at that time.
You always have hope.
A friend of mine had one done when she was in her 20's about the same era and she is still fine, though she has to go in every like 15 years and have it replaced. She is doing fine, has a husband, daughter and a grandkid.
Each case is different and it all depends on the person.
The choice of repair or replacement depends on why the valve is not working. In general replacement is more common.
You will usually have two choices of valves, mechanical or tissue. Mechanical valves last longer but require life long anticoagulation. Anticoagulation requires monitoring and high impact activities willbe limited. Tissue valves last about 10 years but do not require anticoagulation therapy.
Currently aortic valve replacement by new valves being placed percutaneously ( similar to getting a cardiac catheterization only a valve is placed) is being studied. If successful this is likely to be far less risky and require far less recovery time.
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