extraordinary
Well-known member
Ok, i will read it later and thanks a lot
Help me with my third surgery questions
- Thread starter extraordinary
- Start date
Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:
Ok, i will read it later and thanks a lot
extraordinary
Well-known member
Jkm7
Well-known member
You raise an excellent question, Extraordinary.
While there have been a few women here who carried babies while on coumadin, it is very, very risky and you would need care from very expert, knowledgable physicians to get you and baby safely through a pregnancy and delivery.
However, we have had young women who chose tissue valve (which does not require permanent coumadin except in rare cases for specific reasons), and they have had one, two, three babies before requiring a replacement of their tissue valve.
No one knows exact years durability of tissue valves as the newest of them have not been used that long. It does seem the younger the patient, the fewer years they last. But if you know you want babies in the foreseeable future, you need to discuss tissue valve with your doctors.
While there have been a few women here who carried babies while on coumadin, it is very, very risky and you would need care from very expert, knowledgable physicians to get you and baby safely through a pregnancy and delivery.
However, we have had young women who chose tissue valve (which does not require permanent coumadin except in rare cases for specific reasons), and they have had one, two, three babies before requiring a replacement of their tissue valve.
No one knows exact years durability of tissue valves as the newest of them have not been used that long. It does seem the younger the patient, the fewer years they last. But if you know you want babies in the foreseeable future, you need to discuss tissue valve with your doctors.
extraordinary
Well-known member
So tissue valve is the only not risky choice for a women who wants childs ?
no other choice or other valve that last longer wih safe pregrancy ?
IT is recomended IF you want to have your own children, to get a tissue valve, since coumadin can for dangerous for both the Mother and fetus.
ALCapshaw2
Well-known member
As I mentioned before, women who wanted to bear children have chosen the Bovine Pericardial Tissue Valve which appears to have the best durability of the Tissue Valves. The VR.org women who chose this valve got 10 years of service (and a few children) from the valve before it wore out. I believe they chose Mechanical Valves (with the requirement of lifetime anticoagulation) after they had their children. If you choose a Tissue Valve replacement, it would likely need another replacement in another 10 years or so (sometimes less). After age 60, the Bovine Tissue Valves tend to last longer before they wear out.
ALCapshaw2
Well-known member
Dr. Hillel Laks at UCLA is another interesting option. Before he became the head of Cardiothoracic Surgery at UCLA, I recall reading that he was head of Pediatric Surgery at some eastern University (Yale I think - I couldn't find the link in my quick search). You can find LOTS of information on Dr. Laks by doing a Search (Google) for "Dr. Hillel Laks". He lists infant and pediatric surgery as one of his interests.
'AL Capshaw'
I just want to add to Jean's welcome and glad you are asking and getting a lot fromit on your first day
Ok, would the "few women here who have carried babies on Coumadin," come forward and share their stories, or if someone could post the url for the archives? I asked one person here with a mechanical who had a child, and she had a surrogate.
Extraordinary, if you want to have children you should have a tissue valve, and this is something you'll need to discuss with your surgeon.
pikacat
Well-known member
I googled this a bit ago in making my own valve decision.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC101073/
and actually one of the links had been from this forum: http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?29907-Pregnancy-with-a-mechanical-valve-story
it's possible to have a child with a mechanical valve, however, it carries high risk to the mother and the fetus.
then i can't find it right now, but i had found one study that showed that warfarin use increased fetal problems, and decreased fatalities for the mother. however, heparin use had the inverse effect. i'm sorry that i can't find that study right now.
Jkm7
Well-known member
Here is a link to one thread started by TXGal.
http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...-valve-story&highlight=pregnancy+and+coumadin
I also remember a Dad who posted about his wife carrying a pregnancy while on coumadin but it was years ago and cannot remember specifics or names. He posted through her pregnancy I believe and then upon successful delivery. Maybe Ross or someone who has been here longer than me remembers.
Here is another post I found:
Willow went thru 2 the first before They were members Here is Anthonys first post telling about her 1st pregnancy and that she was pregnant again and what the plan was http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...-w-St.-Jude-Mechanical-Valve&highlight=willow
there were a few updates thru out her pregnancy but here is his post about what happened.
http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...Willow-s-Pregnancy-after-MVR&highlight=willow
Jkm7
Well-known member
Thanks, Lyn. That was the couple about whom I was thinking. Rereading that post brought it all back to my mind again.
is the bicuspid aortic valve not congenital?
Yes any defect your born with is congenital.
ps I'm curious are you asking because of the discussion about what kind of doctors to go to?
Last edited:
Definitely... like, oh crap did I pick the wrong doc? Haha!
I was thinking that was your thoughts after I reread the thread. You should be perfectly fine with a regular adult cardiologist/surgeon. I don't know if this link works or if you have to be a member/sign in at the acha org to see it http://www.achaheart.org/pdf/news/ACHABethesdaSummary.pdf That is a short descrption of the Bethesda Guidelines for care of Adults with CHD. They break CHDs down into 3 categories by which are the more "complex" and which CHDs should be treated by Doctors specialized in Adults w/ CHD (and how often they should see them) and which CHDs are considerred "simple" that can be treated w/ the general medical community. Isolated Aortic or Mitral valves are classified as Simple.
But the short/non technical (my words) guidelines are for the most part, people who have the more "complex" CHDs who usually have had 1 or more surgeries as babies or children (like "extraordinary" who started this thread) SHOULD only go to doctors that specialize in CHD or Adults with CHD, since for the most part regular heart doctors (cards and surgeons) don't have much experience taking care of people w/ complex CHDs. So many things are very different than patients with "aquired" heart diseases or valves that need replaced as an adult (who haven't already had heart surgery somewhere on their heart as a child). Also for the most part surgeons that have the most experience with REDOs and Multiple REDOS are the CHD Adults/ CHD surgeons who do several REDOS weekly, so know the safest ways of doing everything.
I saw you asked about Coarc somewhere, do you have Coarc also?
Last edited:
