Anyone had 3 valve replacement surgeries?

[newarrior]

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My darling wife has had 3 OHS's for valve repair and replacement:

1) 1997: ROSS procedure with MV commissurotomy (repair).
2) 2000: MVR with pericardial bovine valve (as the MV repair in 1st surgery failed).
3) 2017: AVR and MVR with St. Jude (Master series) valves, PVR with porcine valve, and repair of TV.

Her hospital stay and recovery time got shorter and shorter with less complication(s) after each OHS. This most likely is attributable to medical and technical advances in anesthesia, pain meds, and the like to reduce complications and improve recovery.

In her 3rd OHS, even though she had all 4 valves worked on (3 replaced and 1 repair), if it wasn't for her INR not being in range yet, they would have discharged her in just 2 full days after her 8 hour surgery. Amazing!

Thank you and may god bless her and you ! She's a brave lady !

 

[MdaPA]

Thank you and may god bless her and you ! She's a brave lady !

Yes, she is!

She never complained once during her recoveries from OHS, always did what she was told and most importantly, she walked, walked and then walked! She would walk the hospital halls day and night as she knew that was the ticket to recovery and getting out of there. So after you wake up from surgery, her advice to you is to "get up and move your butt!".

 

[Springdogg]

2009 - Cadaver tissue value
2016 - Bovine tissue value

Currently getting an echo yearly as mild leaking has been identified. Current plan is to go with a mechanical valve to avoid any additional surgery. I was 26 in 2009 and am 41 now. With tissue valves, no warfarin and regular INR checks....I would forget I even had AVR. Since the last valve I have been married and have a daughter. I am physically active and fit for surgery. The only thing I wish is that the new artificial valves that have intent to last forever are were available. I could go through the rest of my life never thinking about my AVR.

 

[Chuck C]

So after you wake up from surgery, her advice to you is to "get up and move your butt!".

Amen!

 

[dick0236]

The only thing I wish is that the new artificial valves that have intent to last forever are were available. I could go through the rest of my life never thinking about my AVR.

At my current age of 88 my mechanical valve probably will last "forever"......but I doubt any of us has lived our lives without thinking about the mechanical valve we have.....I know I think about it a little most every day. Correct Warfarin management is not difficult and you should "get a handle on it" in no time. BTW, welcome to the Forum.

 

[pellicle]

I would forget I even had AVR

probably not entirely a good idea, because you still have the underlying condition (bioprosthetic heart valve disease and perhaps also connective tissue disorder) and you will still need to attend studies to check its all ok.

I got away with it (not getting checked up), thought I was "fixed" as every prior check-up indication had been good for some years. During the last ten years of this I basically wasn't even in the country (Australia) most of the time and it was only by chance that I came back (for other, unscheduled reasons). When I did get a check up they found my aneurysm and it was in a dangerous point of development. It was only found because "I thought I probably should go get checked".

My aneurysm would have killed me. Note; at that time I had had a homograft done in 1992, which (when implanted) it was suggested may perhaps be a permanent solution. It nearly was as I would no doubt have died on the trip I was planning (ski trip) and perhaps left my wife in a traumatised and life threatening situation.

So now I've got a mechanical valve and apart from the changes of taking a pill every day and self testing weekly I've only got the other changes to get used to (like aging).

My advice is don't try to pretend that you're fixed now; while the anniversary is irrelevant the ongoing check-ups aren't.

Best Wishes

 

[Rebecca]

I’ve had 3 aortic valve replacements.
At 34, surgeon wanted to give me porcine in case I wanted another child. Then after he saw my aorta fall apart in his hands during surgery, he still gave me porcine but recommended I not have another pregnancy. He said he’d seen porcine last 15 yrs, but mine lasted 11, and that was considered really good. (8 yr was average then). So, at 46 I got Carbomedic top hat mechanical. That was my roughest recovery as I was in CHF going into the surgery. Pig leaflet had torn.
Then, 8 1/2 yrs later, endocarditis from a nasty rare bacteria. After picc line for 6 weeks, needed 3rd surgery to replace aortic valve, old graft placed in 89, and mitral repair. Long surgery but I awoke feeling good. I had a partial lung collapse but it resolved. My tongue was sliced by the Dr that intubated me and I got thrush in the hospital. I had a pressure sore on my heel from the long time on my back I guess. I still left the hospital in 6 days. I walked a lot in CCU. Nurses always offered me snacks. Not many people walk at 3 am but the bed was so uncomfortable! Now I’m in my 60’s and my mitral repair has failed. I’m looking into what the future holds for my heart.

Just had my 2nd surgery at 67 and have had some good days but some bad days. Last night my hear rhythm was off and still have fluid on a lung. When this new valve wares out my 3rd valve replacement will be tavet.

 

[tommyboy14]

I’ve had 3 aortic valve replacements.
At 34, surgeon wanted to give me porcine in case I wanted another child. Then after he saw my aorta fall apart in his hands during surgery, he still gave me porcine but recommended I not have another pregnancy. He said he’d seen porcine last 15 yrs, but mine lasted 11, and that was considered really good. (8 yr was average then). So, at 46 I got Carbomedic top hat mechanical. That was my roughest recovery as I was in CHF going into the surgery. Pig leaflet had torn.
Then, 8 1/2 yrs later, endocarditis from a nasty rare bacteria. After picc line for 6 weeks, needed 3rd surgery to replace aortic valve, old graft placed in 89, and mitral repair. Long surgery but I awoke feeling good. I had a partial lung collapse but it resolved. My tongue was sliced by the Dr that intubated me and I got thrush in the hospital. I had a pressure sore on my heel from the long time on my back I guess. I still left the hospital in 6 days. I walked a lot in CCU. Nurses always offered me snacks. Not many people walk at 3 am but the bed was so uncomfortable! Now I’m in my 60’s and my mitral repair has failed. I’m looking into what the future holds for my heart.

i hope that they figure out how to fix your mitral via the clips.
otherwise the best solution may be a mechanical in the hands of a surgeon who is a reop specialist (those do exist).

my reop surgeon had done 6th avr before without a problem and had outstanding mortality and morbidity rates on very complex reops.

perhaps best solution

 

[Chuck C]

Hi Rebecca.

Congratulations on coming through your second surgery!

When this new valve wares out my 3rd valve replacement will be tavet.

Out of curiousity, who is promising you that your next procedure WILL be a TAVR? We see a lot of these promises and in reality there is a lot of disappointment when patients learn that they are not eligible for TAVR. I'm not clear about what % are eligible, or if there has actually been a study to determine this, but anecdotally it seems that most are not eligible when it comes time for their evaluation. I know that when my stenotic native valve was evaluated that it was determined that I was not eligible. In reality, I would say that the best one can say is that they "hope" to be eligible for TAVR on the next round.

 

[Springdogg]

probably not entirely a good idea, because you still have the underlying condition (bioprosthetic heart valve disease and perhaps also connective tissue disorder) and you will still need to attend studies to check its all ok.

I got away with it (not getting checked up), thought I was "fixed" as every prior check-up indication had been good for some years. During the last ten years of this I basically wasn't even in the country (Australia) most of the time and it was only by chance that I came back (for other, unscheduled reasons). When I did get a check up they found my aneurysm and it was in a dangerous point of development. It was only found because "I thought I probably should go get checked".

My aneurysm would have killed me. Note; at that time I had had a homograft done in 1992, which (when implanted) it was suggested may perhaps be a permanent solution. It nearly was as I would no doubt have died on the trip I was planning (ski trip) and perhaps left my wife in a traumatised and life threatening situation.

So now I've got a mechanical valve and apart from the changes of taking a pill every day and self testing weekly I've only got the other changes to get used to (like aging).

My advice is don't try to pretend that you're fixed now; while the anniversary is irrelevant the ongoing check-ups aren't.

Best Wishes

I see my cardiologist twice a year and now also have a yearly echo. I am just saying that I don't think about my AVR on a day to day basis.

 

[tom in MO]

Hi Rebecca.

Congratulations on coming through your second surgery!


Out of curiousity, who is promising you that your next procedure WILL be a TAVR? We see a lot of these promises and in reality there is a lot of disappointment when patients learn that they are not eligible for TAVR. I'm not clear about what % are eligible, or if there has actually been a study to determine this, but anecdotally it seems that most are not eligible when it comes time for their evaluation. I know that when my stenotic native valve was evaluated that it was determined that I was not eligible. In reality, I would say that the best one can say is that they "hope" to be eligible for TAVR on the next round.

Rebecca got 12 years out of her first valve. At 67 now, she may never need a third replacement.