How much have valve replacements actually improved over the years?

[Paleowoman]

Seems true here to, when I did the cardiac rehab classes of the 10 of us one had had a tripple bypass and the rest had just had stents for the plumbing

My bro-in-law has had several lots of stents - no open heart surgery, they're done as a day case or one night stay. I think they're done by a cardiologist rather than cardiac surgeon, though not sure. BIL also gets loads of re-hab - he lives in Germany.

 

[Mellyouttaphase]

When my dad explained to his neighbour that I had just undergone pulmonary valve replacement surgery, the neighbour says; "yeah, but how many bypasses did she have?" ... "Oh, no bypasses? My brother had a triple!" Like it was some kind of one-upmanship.

My ward was mostly CABG patients, I bunked in three different rooms in my fortnight there sharing space with a total of twelve other patients, only two of them being valve replacement/repairs. You can add a third if you count my Impromptu sleepover earlier this week.

 

[Warrick]

so, like you were the only valver?

Yep, apart from my Dad I'm the only other valver I've met lol



I remember 2 of my Dads cousins from when I was a kid who both had mechanicals from what i assume was rheumatic fever as well , both deceased too young.
Plus my Dads sister had a porcine valve from being anorexic deceased , plus another one of my Dads cousins also a valver.
So quite the family history although I'm think they were all rheumatic and not congenital like BAVD.