2nd mitral valve surgery.

Posted By Jeff on September 11, 1998 at 20:19:02:







I am a 43 year old male that had mitral valve repair done 2 years ago.
It is thought that the valve became damaged by infection after a bout of
flu.
My 2 yearly echo's, and 1 TEE after the 1st year echo to establish a baseline on the leak, have shown that the amount of regurg is significant and I was told that I will have to have surgery again very soon.
What I am curious about is:
1. Can my valve be repaired again? If so, is it advisable?
2. If not, can you give advice on what type of replacement valve would be best?
3. Do all replacement valves require blood thinners?
4. Does having surgery a second time increase the risk?
5. Does something like this affect life expectancy?
6. Is it unusual for a repaired valve to fail after a short time?