I sure dont want to have another surgery again. Lucky for me i don't have any blocked vessels.
I'm leaning towards ***the*** mechanical valve.
I just had concerns about the coumadin. I have been taking baby asprin for years and that has not bothered me.
Pat
Actually, there are 4 (maybe 5) MAJOR Manufacturers of Mechanical Valves in the USA (and some more in Europe).
You can find details of their valves on their respective websites (which have been posted on VR.com or can be found from a GOOGLE Search for the company names).
The manufacturers are ATS, Carbomedics, (Medtronics), On-X, and St. Jude.
St. Jude was the First BiLeaflet Mechanical Valve and has a track record approaching 30 years. see
www.sjm.com
Carbomedics was next in line, along with ATS.
BOTH designed by Jack Bokros, Ph.D., who consulted with St. Jude on their leaflet design (he created the material).
On-X is the "Latest and Greatest" design from Jack Bokros based on a lifetime of experience designing Heart Valves. Do a Search (on VR.com) for "Bokros" to find posts detailing his experience. See
www.heartvalvechoice.com and
www.onxvalves.com for details on the technological improvements incorporated in the On-X valves.
Comparison Data for each of those valves was presented in a Thread entitled: St Jude , probably in the Valve Selection Forum.