bizinsider
Well-known member
This is obviously a mechanical valve site with members who refuse to acknowledge the scores of complaints from mechanical valve recipients. In addition the outright biased against tissue valves is apparent and for obvious reasons.. You already have mechanical valves ticking away in your chests. You also obviously weren’t well studied up on the ability to TAVR a tissue valve especially the new Edward’s valve. So a tissue valve may now last 30 years and add the TAVR and you may be at 30-40 years.
Point of order here.
1. In an earlier post you said this obviously is a site for mechanical valves. I have been on this site for a very long time. My profile says 2016 but I started lurking here, and may even have had an earlier account, many many many years earlier, certainly when a mechanical valve would have been my best option. Tissue or mechanical, this site and many of the interactions/support have/has been invaluable, and remains so...and part of my knowledge base.
2. On the TAVR issue. I don't think anybody knows how long any valve will last. Some people have tissue valves fail rather quickly, but most report 8-15 years. My surgeon gave me 8-12, with sizing for a new one via TAVR when the time comes.... assuming (and only Pellicle will laugh at this) I'm still here. I'm very realistic.... to the point of knowing that a TAVR is not guaranteed. We have no idea what the level of calcification will be and whether the slight leak in my mitral valve will get works or "remodel" to no leak as my heart adjusts to the new valve.... or whatever else comes along. As I wrote here at some point (or two or three) my surgeon, a lead investigator in the Resilia – he put the first one in a patient at the CC in 2018 – still chose an older model for me.
3. There is no right or wrong. It's very personal. Even at my age my surgeon gave me the pros/cons of tissue vs mechanical and had me choose. He told me he agreed with my choice, but then felt the older model was better for me.
4. I hate to see anybody get testy here. Not worth it. If having to get a new valve teaches you nothing else, it's to reduce the tension, not increase it. Pellicle figured that one out a long time ago. I'm slowly getting there. Many of us do an enormous amount of research, and while we're not experts, it's often about little more than being as informed as possible.
Cheers,
Herb
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