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Just curious, but where is Andy these days? He used to come up with all sorts of news on valve surgery techniques.

Dear valvers, I've been in the hospital for 8 days following a campylobacter infection. I started to get severe, bloody diarrhea and a serious fever. My heart rate went up to 130 for a long period, and since I was just recovering from my AVR, I thought I was about to meet my Maker .... Luckily...

Dear valvers, Has anyone of you experienced complications where a particular valve repair lead to a new valve problem after weeks/months of the OHS? Is it possible that healthy valves go south by repairing a diseased one? Cheerio,

Dear valvers, I went to my cardio today and the ECG showed a slightly prolonged PR interval, which in healthy individuals should be < 0.2 sec in duration. According to my cardio it was bordering on the first degree AV block but nothing to worry about yet. I'll undergo a Holter test soon to see...

Has anyone experienced some mild arrythmia such as extra systolic beats in the first couple of months post-op? I was lying in bed yesterday evening and experienced some episodes of arrythmia, typically when my heart rate became slow. I had no pain in the chest nor did I feel faint or dizzy and...

Dear valvers, I'm dropping you a line to say I'm doing OK after the AVR that took place on July 24th. I came home on the 1st and I'm trying to get my strenght back. It's almost 2 weeks post-op and I'm feeling kinda weak and tired because I still can't sleep through the night. Is this normal...

This morning I was about to step in my car for a two hour drive to the hospital when I decided to call my doctor about a minor cold and blocked nose I experienced during the last couple of nights. Although this nose thingy does not bother me during the day, he said it was unacceptable to have an...

Dear Valvers, This morning I had a personal chat with my cardio and my AVR is sheduled on July 18th 2006. My native aortic valve will be removed and the ON-X mechanical valve is to take its place. In the back of my mind I've always hoped that the problem would go away by itself. That...

To all INR gurus: Does heat and humidity change your INR? Cheerios and hugs,

Would AVR be canceled when you have a slightly blocked nose probably due to a minor cold? I'm feeling OK otherwise.

Dear Valvers, Just to let you know that after some tough and heated negotiations, the surgeon has agreed to install an On-X in the aortic position. It feels great that the days of this crippling aortic valve are coming to an end. Take care,

2005 Mar;27(3):425-33; discussion 433. Epub 2004 Dec 30. Long-term outcomes of valve replacement with modern prostheses in young adults. Ruel M, Kulik A, Lam BK, Rubens FD, Hendry PJ, Masters RG, Bedard P, Mesana TG. Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Ottawa Heart Institute...

Dear Mechanicals, When did you start your anti-coagulation therapy after the insertion of your mechanical heart valve? Your input is greatly appreciated. :)

Came back from the cardio today. The BAV catherisation showed a maximum systolic pressure of 102 mmHg. Two weeks ago he called me and said: "You gotta stop with the sports you're doing." What do you think, is this a "high" reading?

The last couple of month I frequently have purple/blue coloured finger tips and nails, especially afer some workout. Is this caused by my aortic stenosis? Cheers,

Successful completion could result in first-ever low-dose anticoagulation therapy recommendations for a mechanical heart valve AUSTIN, TX (January 10, 2006) ? Medical Carbon Research Institute L.L.C. (MCRI?) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an...

It is not my intention to scare the valvers on this board, but I was wondering what to do when warfarin "runs out" temporarily, say months. Would aspirin, lovenox, or any sort of alternative be suitable to make it through months? Is there any sort of food that would increase the INR? Your views...

According to the literature, an INR of 2.0 appears to be a "magic" threshold below which the risk of thromboembolic events increases for mechanical valves. Suppose you refuse to go below INR = 2.0 for any sort of dental work, does this really put you into a life threatening bleeding situation...

Dear Valvers, I’ve been lurking here for quite some time and read many of your heart related stories. Let me hereby take the opportunity to wish all of you the best health possible and many years of intense joy with your families, kids, and partners. Your frankness and openness has magically...