Re: Valve replacement

Posted By CCF CARDIO MD-APS on February 16, 1999 at 09:25:26:

In Reply to: Valve replacement posted by Don  on February 13, 1999 at 14:45:03:






    My mother is scheduled for a single by-pass and valve replacement surgery in two weeks....She is deliberating over what type of valve to go with. She is a healthy 69 year old, non-smoker, non-drinker. She is leaning towards getting a mechanical valve....Does anyone have any advice or experience to help in this decision? Thank you.




Dear Don,
Basically the mechanical valve can last forever although it does require that your mother be on a blood thinner called coumadin for the rest of her life.
However, in her position I too would choose the mechanical valve since the tissue valve does not last more than 10 years in general (which requires reoperation, i.e. re-replacement)
In 10 years or so your mother will be 79 and another open heart surgery would be high risk at that time' reoperations in general are higher risk, but even moreso in elderly patients.
I hope this information is useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for
general purposes only. Only your physician can provided specific diagnoses and therapies.
Feel free to write back with further questions. Good luck!
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please
call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at
www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the
cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your
cardiac problem.