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Do you have a bicuspid aortic valve? If so then the likelihood that you will eventually develop an aneurysm problem is in all probability higher. Good luck with whatever decision you make.

Very interesting information, especially for those on aspirin therapy like myself.

That's interesting. So having an ascending aortic graft puts a strain on the rest of the native (distal, descending) aorta. This would seem to indicate the need to monitor the descending aorta, perhaps by CT scan.

Have you had surgery? They want a CT scan in my case to check on the status of the Dacron replacement ascending aorta.

I learned something interesting when I asked the surgical personnel what they were looking for in these repetitive CT scans. I was told that my replacement ascending aorta has sutured joints, it is not a continuous section of hose. So they check for the status of these joined sections to see if...

Young is a state of mind, I guess. Interesting stuff.

Congratulations, Dick! Keep going!

Nice to see your post. Hope you are doing well.

Good luck, speedy recovery!

Congratulations, Mary! That's great. Keep going. BTW, I just had my right knee replaced in March. Will get the left one done in October hopefully. Recovery from that is tougher than from OHS!

Photo of the hard and soft corals and sponges that I took while scuba diving in Roatan, Honduras in Feb. 2023.

1. At what age did you get your bio-prosthetic valve? 66 2. How long have you had your bio-prosthetic valve for? 8 years 3. If your valve failed, what was the reason? it has not failed 4. Are there any medications you have had to take after surgery because of the bio-prosthetic valve...

Thanks for posting this. I have not had an echo since November of 2020. Abbott is specifying yearly echos for those with Trifecta implants. I have no symptoms but at eight years out with RTKR in two weeks this new letter adds to my current anxiety level.

Every two or three years for me. I'm eight years out from surgery with a tissue valve. My lasst echo was two years ago. My cardio said we'll see how i feel in January but at this point i don't feel like i need an echo at this time.

Collecting antique electric toy trains, electric motors, and stationary steam engines. Scuba diving and underwater photography. International travel. Opera and music in general. Pet interaction with a dog and a cat. Watching NFL Football Dining out. (How did I ever find time to work?)

If you opt for OHS and a tissue valve at 70 you may never need a replacement and perhaps no need for anticoagulants. With TAVR I would guess that the chances that you would need another replacement are significantly higher. BTW, I will be 74 in January and I am an avid walker and active scuba...

Congratulations! Great to read this. Which tissue valve do you have?

Thanks for your reply, Superman. I have a tissue valve with hemiarch aortic replacement, so some significant work was done. I can understand the need for follow up echos, but waht would the surgeon be looking for with a CT scan? I really worry about the radiation and the hit the kidneys take...

The surgery department at my university hospital wants a CT scan with contrast every two years. I'm eight years post surgery so I've had a few of these so far. I am concerned about radiation exposure, which is cummlative. How often are others getting CT scans post surgery?

Here is what my cardiologist wrote to me in regard to my dilated aorta: "After much population-based research, it has been determined that an aortic root or proximal ascending aortic diameter of ≥4.5 cm portends elevated risk of further dilatation and aneurysm formation over the long term...