questions.......

[rocksoldier]

questions-do the mechanical valves set off metal detectors? do the tissue valves require anti rejection drugs like after transplants?! thanks in advance! trish

 

[Phyllis]

Hi,
Valves do not set off metal detectors and there are no anti- rejection drugs needed.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Good Questions.

NO, tissue valves do NOT require anti-rejection drugs.
(I've forgotten the reason...something to do with some kind of treatment for that specific purpose).

I'm not sure about metal detectors. The ONLY metal is in a ring around the valve. The Leaflets are made of Pyrolytic Carbon which is pretty inert and very hard.

You may want to check out some of the Mechanical Valves.
Many of us are impressed with the technological advancements offered by the relatively new (1996) On-X Valves. See www.onxvalves.com and www.heartvalvechoice.com

The St. Jude Master's Series Valves hold the record for Longevity at 30 years and counting. See www.sjm.com

ATS and Carbomedics are spinnoff's of the St. Jude Valve. They both have websites but I don't remember their address. Try GOOGLE for those names.

The Leaflets in ALL of the above are made of Pyrolytic Carbon designed by Jack Bukros, Ph.D. who formed the On-X company to produce his 'latest and greatest' valve.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[hensylee]

Ben Smith has set off airport alarms because of his wires, but he's about the only one we know of. Not from his valve, tho.

 

[Susan BAV]

I have a tissue valve and one time my sternum wires must have set off the security at a foreign international airport. But the security was particularly tight that day and I just figured the security personnel must have had their machine especially finely set.

The following may sound ridiculous but I've had some friends who can't eat pork because it sets their gout off terribly. I have wondered if a porcine valve could bother a person like that; but I've never read anything about it.

One other thing is that I believe it is pretty common for even a tissue valve replacement recipient to temporarily be on ACT (coumadin or warfarin - anticoagulation therapy). I was on it post-OHS for only three months. Now I only take a daily aspirin. A person allergic to aspirin would have to discuss this with their heart doctors, as to what form of anticoagulation they would need to take instead of aspirin with a tissue valve.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

A mechanical valve is made of inert non-biologic tissue. Because it is made of biological tissue, it is more prone to clots - hence the requirement for warfarin. Mechanical valve offers one operation as it will outlast you - in some cases, they can develop problems & require another valve but this is rare.

HUH???

Your first two statements are a direct contradiciton as written. Please clarify your second sentence in the above paragraph. It makes NO sense to me.

OLDER design Mechanical Valves (St. Jude, ATS, Carbomedics) ALL create Turbulence (which induces Eddy Currents which can cause Clots to form) due to the fact that the Leaflets open to Less Than 90 degrees (typically 70 to 85 degrees). The leaflets in the newer On-X valves open to 90 degrees which reduces turbulence greatly.

Clots can also attach to the leaflet material. OLDER design mechanical valves use Pyrolytic Carbon with Silicone? imbeded for extra strength. On-X Pyrolytic Carbon is smoother, harder, and has no embedded strengtheners.

All mechanical valves are subject to blood cell damage to some extent where blood is 'squeezed' through the pivot areas. Newer designs have improved the pivots to produce significantly less damage.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Philip B]

Security Alarms

Security Alarms

I've noted in a couple of previous threads that I set off security alarms whenever I fly out of Denver International Airport. I don't know what make the alarms go off; something in my St. Jude valve or the wires in my sternum.

This happened in March and required some extra time because the DIA TSA folks decided a "pat down" search was necessary. I've never encountered any alarm issues in airports other than DIA.

-Philip

 

[sue943]

I set one off at an airport, just the once and that was in the early days. Since then I have flown a number of times and haven't had a problem.

 

[JimL]

I've noted in a couple of previous threads that I set off security alarms whenever I fly out of Denver International Airport. I don't know what make the alarms go off; something in my St. Jude valve or the wires in my sternum.

This happened in March and required some extra time because the DIA TSA folks decided a "pat down" search was necessary. I've never encountered any alarm issues in airports other than DIA.

-Philip

I've been through the Denver airport a couple times since surgery, without any problems -- I like the airport -- and we're going there again in June. Belt buckles, however, do still set off security alarms, even after surgery.

 

[MarkU]

My St. Jude valve and chest wires have never set off airport screening devices in the past seven years and I have traveled extensively both domestically and overseas.

The last time we flew to London I passed through the scanners with no problems but my wife's underwire bra set it off, much to her embarrassment, especially when the security persons used their hand-held wands to zero in on on the source(s) of the problem...

Mark

 

[OldManEmu]

Valves

Valves

Tissue valves are chemically treated so as to be inert to the immune system and not be rejected. The body doesn't recognise them as coming from another living organism so doesn't reject them. The only recommended drug for a tissue valve is low dose aspirin to stop platelet aggregation. Any other drugs prescribed post surgery for a tissue valve are for other underlying medical conditions which may be heart related.

 

[pamela]

Tissue valves are chemically treated so as to be inert to the immune system and not be rejected. The body doesn't recognise them as coming from another living organism so doesn't reject them. The only recommended drug for a tissue valve is low dose aspirin to stop platelet aggregation. Any other drugs prescribed post surgery for a tissue valve are for other underlying medical conditions which may be heart related.

I was given warfarin for three months post VR both times and I figure it's because of the stitching making the arterial walls less than laminar. Once the flesh has healed, the surfaces where cells may stick are "fleshed out" a bit more and the body doesn't need the platelets to help stop potential bleeding. Once that happens, the anticoagulant properties of ASA are usually enough to keep the blood moving past the surgery site without clotting.

 

[Jkm7]

I was given warfarin for three months post VR both times and I figure it's because of the stitching making the arterial walls less than laminar. Once the flesh has healed, the surfaces where cells may stick are "fleshed out" a bit more and the body doesn't need the platelets to help stop potential bleeding. Once that happens, the anticoagulant properties of ASA are usually enough to keep the blood moving past the surgery site without clotting.

I also was on warfarin for about 2 1/2 months post tissue valve placement. My cardio explained the reason exactly as you have outlined in your post.