hello everyone
I posted on here awhile ago about my prolapsed mitral valve. Now I have my op in Southampton next Monday. The surgeon is 80% sure he can repair, but plan B is replace.
I know mechanical valves last longer, but really do not want to take warfarin for the rest of my life 😬
The bovine valve seems preferable, but obviously not as long lasting.
any advice?
thank you ❤️
Hi plum44.Don't have any advice as I'm still waiting to have mine sorted but wish you all the best for your op next Monday take care and keep us all updated ❤️😊
thank you so much 😊 I will do ❤️
Hi, Not an easy decision to make should you need a new valve. Whilst I've not had a Bovine valve, my first replacement was a Tissue (Pigs in my case), which I had for 19 years, whereas I now have Mechanical Aortic and Mitral Valves, with the Mitral also having been repaired. There are pros and cons for both which I'm sure your aware of, but, if you decide on the Bovine, you need to be clear in your mind, that its highly likely it will need replacing at some point. That said, medical procedures and valve technology has moved on and evolved in recent years, so who knows what it will be like in years to come. Personally, I don't think there's a right or wrong choice, you just have to be comfortable and live with the decision you make, and it's the right one for you in your circumstances.
Take Care
Heed
Just wishing you all the best for your operation next Monday & for your recovery..
Hi, This is my first reply to a post as l am a 66yr old newbie ! Just wanted to say 30+ yrs ago l was due to have a tissue valve to replace my wonky mitral valve. Ended up with a metal one as it was “more suited”. So l have been on Warfarin a long time & ok it’s a nuisance at times but that is as bad as it gets for me. The metal valve is still going strong & l have no regrets at all. So good luck with which ever you end up with & im sure the cardiologist will choose the right one for you as they did for me !
That’s interesting, I worry about everything 🙄 my father was on warfarin for years and I just remember he was always covered in bruises and constantly cold 🥶 I bruise at the drop of a hat anyway, and I often sit with a hot water bottle , even in the summer 🤣
When you say it’s a nuisance at times, why is that? I’m really hoping they can repair the valve but I have to be prepared for plan B
Thank you so much for your reply 😊
With me the only “nuisance” is the blood tests & having to let dentists etc know that l am on them but that applies to other medications too. I have never had a problem with bruising or bleeding or any other side effects but maybe l am just lucky. I do feel the cold sometimes but not sure if Warfarin is to blame but l enjoy snuggling up with my dog & hot water bottle & my husband if he insists😂 Seriously though any medication can be a pest but you have to balance the positive with the negatives & Warfarin has done an excellent job for me for over 30yrs
That doesn’t sound too bad at all 😊 and after 30 years you have obvious given it plenty of time 😊 I pop paracetamol and ibuprofen lihh my e smarties because I get awful headaches, and I suppose if I sat and read all tge side effects , it would put me off. ( I don’t take the ibuprofen so much now- it used to ne nearly everyday 😬)
Thank you 😊
Good morning.....so pleased your operation date is imminent. I had the same advice from my surgeon. I think you will find 80 per cent for repair is quite high and I was also informed that generally repair is preferred over replacement valves. Evenso, I told my surgeon to do whatever he thought was best. I did have repairs to Mitral and tricuspid valves but would have been happy either way to be honest and the thought of being on Warfarin didn't particularly bother me as I would have been glad of any chance of normality back. It's an individual choice obviously but I hope whichever method is chosen that your operation goes well and that your recovery goes even better. Just do everything they tell you to do. You will be in excellent hands. All the best x
Good Morning 😊
Thank you , I’m one of those people who given a choice ….. can’t make one , I think I should do as you did and leave it up to the cardiologist. It’s great to hear from people who have had this done, I know I’m not the first, the team I met at Southampton were amazing and really made me feel less nervous, but it’s the waiting bit that is the worst…. 3am in the morning my brain goes into overdrive 😬
Thank you so much for your reply 😊
Hi.....the waiting is the worst bit and I know it's hard but try not to worry. You really won't know anything and the team that look after you I am sure will be just as amazing as the team I had on the day. You literally click your fingers and you are coming around....that's how quick it seems. You will be given excellent pain management and though you will obviously be aware of having had major surgery you will be given the best care. They have you up pretty quickly....I was in a chair and had an assisted short walk the next morning but I felt pretty good about that and chuffed with myself. Just do everything they tell you to do regarding exercising and breathing exercises ...really important for getting your lung function back in full action. When you go home it's a journey. Days forward and some not so good days....all normal. Don't expect too much of yourself and accept all the help you can get for the first few weeks. You will be fine and I wish you all the very best for your op and your recovery x
thank you ,that’s great to hear! 😊 I’m usually pretty fit and active, always on the go, so I’ll be very happy to move ASAP and won’t be backwards in asking for pain relief 😬
I have plenty of folk helping when I get home, mainly to support my elderly mum who I usually go to everyday. But the family are swinging into action, I am very lucky.
Thank you so much for your reply, it really helps, as I said to someone else, I know it’s irrational but you think you’re the only person that’s had it, I am 61 but don’t personally know anyone that has had this type of surgery, so it’s great to hear from others who have already had gone on this journey. ❤️😊
It's not irrationality at all. That's good to hear that you will get help. I was 66....very fit and healthy and like so many others it was hard to take on board that this had happened. I very quickly realised from advice on the page and listening to the surgeon, that this operation is really common and that people in their 70s and 80s go through it and recover well. You will get great advice and back up on the forum but if you ever want to pm me to ask anything during your recovery, please do. You sound very positive and I'm sure will be the same when it comes to getting better....it's a very important part of your recovery. As I said before....all the very best x
that’s really kind, and I may well take you up on that offer 😊 so good to hear from people in the same boat who have “ been there and got the T- shirt “ 😊 the cardiologist did keep calling me “ young” but I thought that was because he looked about 12to me 🤣 as you say much older people have tge same op and recover well ❤️
Everyone's journey is different but the operations are the same and you are still young lol. Yes....please do contact me if you wish. You do have some days after when you feel a bit fragile or scared.... only natural but it is always good to talk to someone who has been through it. I look forward to hearing about your progress. Cheers x
thank you 😊
Six weeks post mechanical aortic valve, right now I wish I had a tissue valve but at 26, I was recommended against it by 2 different surgeons and all the cardiologists. I had agreed on a Ross procedure but the night before surgery, in the hospital bed, the cardiologist came in with the disappointing news that the team had decided I'm getting a mechanical valve. The warfarin and the INR testing are a nuisance. At the moment things arent really stable and because of that I'm afraid to eat green vegetables. Maybe I'll feel different in a while but I'm frustrated that medical science hasn't come up with a better option to daily warfarin yet. Good luck, the first few weeks are pretty awful but once you arent in pain anymore, it all feels more normal.
Hi Plum44,It's a very personal thing and people will choose one valve over another for many different reasons. The big ones though are; age (less than 65ish, go for mechanical), medication (possible long term warfarin), lifestyle (risk of bleeding is a consideration for warfarin) so planning on getting pregnant or have a risky hobby then consider a tissue valve and another op ( you are highly likely to need one with a tissue valve).
There are of course many things to think about with the above and some you just won't know or understand until after. However some big caveats are that warfarin is unlikely to be around for ever. There are a number of medications that are looking to replace and don't have the testing or other side affects (apixaban is one). Tissue valves can often be replaced with a less invasive surgery, so even of they don't last as long it might not be such a big deal. Sometimes with tissue valves you also need warfarin, even for just a short time.
Either way your life will be much better after.
Good luck, wishing you the best.
Peter
thank you that is very helpful 😊 I did wonder what other blood thinners were available , warfarin seems tge name most bandied about. I don’t have any risky hobbies 😃 I used to be a regular runner , but I have damaged cartilage in my knee 🤦🏻♀️ So haven’t run for awhile . Hoping once heart is fixed, I can get my knee fixed 😬 I sound like a walking disaster 😄
Thank you for the reply ❤️
Hi,
Replaced mitral valve with mechanic last year and life is back to normal or even better than before. Warfarine is not an issue as i have a device checking my inr at home now. Literally two minutes pain free. I only go to clinic once every 6 months to caliber my machine to their results. So mechanic has n nissue so far.
Don’t get bruises either. So depends on your age. I would say mechanic
mechanical heart valve 
Mechanical Heart Valve
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