51 years and still clicking!

Valve Replacement Forums

Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Wow is all I can say! I knew you had your valve for a lot of years but did not realize that many. You ARE an inspiration to all of us! (Bet you would like to slap some sense into some of us at times also when we complain, don't know which valve to choose, and don't know how to manage the ones we have.) lol

Congratulations!
 
jwinter;n884731 said:
(Bet you would like to slap some sense into some of us at times also when we complain, don't know which valve to choose,.......

Nope. Valve choice is a very personal thing. The valve I have was the ONLY valve on the market then so my decision was very easy. Today that choice is much more confusing. That said, it does annoy me when people base their valve decision only on "old wives tales" regarding warfarin and opt for multiple surgeries to avoid ACT......that's why forums like VR.org are so valuable in allowing many points of view to be heard.
 
Dick, congrats! What does your valve look like? Would love to see a pic. Regardless, this offers much hope for all of us clickers! (Assuming the valves actually got better and no lemons were manufactured in the past 50 years.) :) btw to your other point about old wives tales, I will have to say that after having a mechanical put in almost two years ago, I am very glad to have listened to you experienced veterans and not the general public.. And in the classification of general public I also include the medical folks - with regards to ACT. I am truly amazed at how much different the reality of ACT is from what they think and preach. I left the hospital thinking I needed to switch to electric razors and generally needed to be VERY careful in how I live my life.. I am so happy that this is far from reality!
 
Happy Anniversary Dick. I'm only 10 years older than your valve :) I believe Dick said once his valve was a ball in cage design.
 
bgilbert;n884750 said:
Dick, congrats! What does your valve look like? Would love to see a pic.!

Go online and search "Starr-Edwards ball valve" You will find much info. Simply put....the valve design was influenced by an 18th century wine bottle cork. It is a plastic ball that floats inside a metal cage......opens and closes with the heart beat....like tilting a wine bottle.

The valve was produced by Edwards Lifesciences, with little change until it was discontinued in 2007......when Edwards left that business in favor of their current tissue type cardiovascular products.
 
Hi

bgilbert;n884750 said:
Dick, congrats! What does your valve look like? Would love to see a pic


Wikipedia as it happens has a good range of pictures

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_heart_valve

Eg
220px-Prosthetic_Cardiac_Ball_Valves.jpg


Regardless, this offers much hope for all of us clickers! (Assuming the valves actually got better and no lemons were manufactured in the past 50 years.)

there has been iterative and substantial clear improvement in the years since the first generation ... just glance at that article above. We're now in the "bileaflet" age and they all have excellent features. On may as well just phrase it as the valve will itself never fail. There may be other requirements for surgery though (rare but not unheard of) such as having an aneurysm (such as myself and Superman)


... with regards to ACT. I am truly amazed at how much different the reality of ACT is from what they think and preach. I left the hospital thinking I needed to switch to electric razors and generally needed to be VERY careful in how I live my life.. I am so happy that this is far from reality!

glad that its working out for you, I always like to help a fellow warfarin "brother or sister" on the path to INR NIRvana :)
 

Latest posts

Back
Top