Dear Jamie,
The big choice to make first is a mechanical vs. a tissue valve. There are pros and cons of each. The main advantage of a mechanical valve is its long life and the disadvantage is the coumadin. The advantage of the tissue valve is not having to take coumadin but the disadvantage is having to undergo repeat surgery in a younger person. It's really a presonal choice between her and her surgeon. I tend to favor mechanical valves in these situations. The St. Jude is the most commonly used valve. There are several different sizes but they are all basically the same valve. I hadn't heard about a St. Jude recall but if so those are usually for specific batches. Generally min. invasive techniques are not used for aortic valve repair.