1 Year with On-X aortic valve

[sensei Ade]

Hi All,
Some of you will remember me. I had my aortic valve changed for a second time on 26/11/10, so this posting is a wee bit late, sorry...but all is going well. I've had issues ever since my surgery with my thumping heart, dizzinness and high blood pressure but things are getting a lot better now. Everything is settling down. I've reduced my blood pressure down to the absolute minimum dose so I hope to come off it altogether soon. I'm still doing karate and playing in a field hockey team and doing plenty of aerobic exercise down the gym. I get the odd ectopic beat, that's all, and I'm maintaining my INR at around 2.0 through home testing as I have an On-X valve. Hopefully this valve will last me a life time as per their design. Take care everyone.

Sensei

 

[Greg a]

Happy valversary

 

[Bina]

Good to hear that things are going better....that first year can be a real challenge.
Congrats !!

 

[markp66]

Well done, first year is always the hardest. Many surgeons and cardiologists say that most complications, especially bleeding happen in the first year, after that all these problems diminish. So hopefully it should be a smoother ride from now on.

It seems like most people get a thumping heart after surgery, especially with mech valves altgough people with tissue valves have also complained of this. Can you hear it? I can't hear my valve very often but I certainly hear my heart thumping!! I'm told this will settle down over the year... I hope it does. I'm still not exactly sure why this is and surgeons seem to have different opinions. I've been told it may be that the heart is closer to the sternum post op, the heart takes time to adjust to the new valve etc etc.

I have the odd random heartbeat, it's been ok on the whole. But I wonder how many normal non ohs people have these. We probably notice more, especially if we can hear and feel every beat!

Anyway, things sound to be going well now, just another 50 years or so to go! And as you posted a while back, these valves are tested to last 100-200+ years. Without an infection or leaking around the valve (which are much more common in the first year) you should be fine. I've been told over and over again that the most important thing is to keep fit and healthy, most problems happen because of co morbid conditions, even valve related events. Yes, there will always be a risk of a stroke no matter what valve you have, tissue or mechanical and there is always an ongoing bleeding risk with any level of warfarin. Your INR is low, like mine (2-2.5, rarely go over 2.5 so far) and this will minimise any bleeding issues. Great that you home monitor. I'm doing the same in Jan. The warfarin management has been so easy so far and home testing will make it even better. I'll probably test once a week, especially being on a lower INR.

 

[epstns]

Sensei - Good to hear that all is coming under control. I remember some of your early concerns and am very glad that they are being less invasive. Seems that the new On-X valve is a keeper, too!

 

[sensei Ade]

Thanks very much

Happy valversary

 

[sensei Ade]

Hi there, thanks very much. I'm getting there now. Just trying to wean myself off the blood pressure tablets, so far so good. Cardiologists really do need to talk about the longer term recovery much more than they do. I hope you are keeping well and getting fitter by the day. Take care.

Sensei

Sensei - Good to hear that all is coming under control. I remember some of your early concerns and am very glad that they are being less invasive. Seems that the new On-X valve is a keeper, too!

 

[sensei Ade]

Hi Mark,
Good to hear from you. Yes, I hope so too. I most certainly do hear my heart thumping and I've been told the same thing about why this is the case. Apparently the pericardial sac post op is a bit stiffer so this can cause the thumping as well. I agree that the surgeons/cardiologists all seem to have different theories about the causes of thumping, and when you go online to try to look this up, you get nowhere because all you get is hits against arrythmia/AF. Very frustrating! I have the odd ectopic beat as well which we notice as we're so tuned into every little thing going on with our tickers. I do a lot of sport and sometimes I get a bit of chest pain, but the moment I stretch my arms the ribs/sternum cracks a bit, then all sorted . It's so easy to fall into the trap of worrying too much. But I still have my good and bad days.

I hope things are going well with you. Who did your op? Sounds like you've got everything under control. Yep, the home testing for INR is dead handy and after a while the INR levels really stabilise well. Exercising really does help with the recovery, so try to exercise as soon as you can and you'll get your strength back pretty quickly. Hold out on weights for a while, they make you feel pretty dizzy early on. I've only just started doing the machines down the gym after more than one year post op. The lighter weights but slow burn is highly recommended. Take care.

Sensei

 

[Bill B]

The thumping seem like a logical consequence of the mechanical valve's rigid bi-leaflets and rigid ring trying to do the job of flexible tri-leaflets, amplified by some effects of surgery on surrounding tissues. Fortunately I have not found mine disturbing at all except initially when my heart rate was quite high post-op. Also, I suspect you had "ectopics" before surgery as well. Most people have some extra beats, probably not really ectopic (implies an incorrect location) and they are not consequential. I have loads of them, but they are totally benign. Now with the thumping valve responding to the extra beats, they are far easier to notice.

 

[sensei Ade]

Hi Bill, good to hear from you. Interesting point about the mechanical valve rigidity. I agree that this could be a factor. I'm also with you on your point about the ectopic beats how they are far easier to notice, which is also because we notice everything much more anyway after major surgery of this kind.

All the best and keep well

Sensei

The thumping seem like a logical consequence of the mechanical valve's rigid bi-leaflets and rigid ring trying to do the job of flexible tri-leaflets, amplified by some effects of surgery on surrounding tissues. Fortunately I have not found mine disturbing at all except initially when my heart rate was quite high post-op. Also, I suspect you had "ectopics" before surgery as well. Most people have some extra beats, probably not really ectopic (implies an incorrect location) and they are not consequential. I have loads of them, but they are totally benign. Now with the thumping valve responding to the extra beats, they are far easier to notice.