Inspiris Resilia vs On-x, can't decide

[Groy]

Hi Groy, and welcome!

If you go back through my previous posts, you'll find my husband's story. He went with the Inspiris Reslia and promptly had it replaced 10 months later. I'll spare you the details because it was a bit of a rollercoaster and not the typical experience with that valve, but he ultimately ended up with the On-X.

His last surgery was August 9th, 2019 and he's doing great. He's been opened up a few times now, and has lived to tell the tale! Warfarin is no biggie (I think the only people that make it a big deal are those that aren't on it), self-testing is no biggie (once we got everyone to respect his wishes of a 2.0-3.0 INR range...that was an epic battle spanning years. Ridiculous.), and he's still just as active as he was going in. Still rides his dirtbike, captains our little boat, drinks alcohol, uses cannabis, works a physical job, we are DIYing a complete gut and remodel on our house, he still does heavy lifting...nothing is different for him except the scar, the warfarin, and the fact that we keep a special first aid kit for him for when he gets bumped, bruised, and scratched. Which has still definitely happened just as much as in the past! He's a stubborn guy with the will to do just about anything

All this is to say, I guess, that we can go into these things with an amazing support system, all of our t's crossed and i's dotted, thinking we have all of the ducks in a row, and yet things can still turn upside down on us. Which is not to scare you, but to encourage you that many of these fine folks here have had plans go arwy and have lived lives after, just as full as before. You are in the right place, and doing your due diligence to research for yourself and make an informed decisions, which is the best thing you can do. Keep asking questions, and keep hanging around! This is a good group of people to help you through this.

All the best to you!
Jill (wife to Mathias, OHS 3x over 10 months).

Oh! I should edit to add, Mathias had AVR and ascending aortic aneurysm fixed at 25 years old. The aneurysm fix is still holding strong from his first surgery, and his last surgery placed the On-X in the aortic position. He just got his yearly echo results back last week "Everything is pumping along just fine!" per his new cardio. Even a couple of years later and we still celebrate when his echo comes back peachy.

Hi LoveMyBraveHeart

Thankyou for sharing your story

Glad Mathias and you are positively surpassing your situation.



The more I read more I incline to a mechanic valve, it seems that those biological valves ruptures more often than it appear, and warfarin does not look to scary anymore.

 

[Mister_James]

I have US blue cross and blue shield and self monitor and self manage. My cardiologist's practice doesn't like it, they want you to go to the coumadin clinic. However my cardiologist allows it, thus his practice allows it as well.

That's correct.
US insurers want to steer you into a monitoring program if they are to cover self testing. The monitoring group will provide a meter on rent and supplies as you need.
They don't manage your testing but you will not call the doctor with your results.
The other choice is to pay out of pocket for supplies and meter and have an understanding with your doc.

 

[Mister_James]

Let me add even testing strips cannot be picked up at your neighborhood pharmacy.

 

[pellicle]

I’ll probably go with On-x and will do my best to take care of me and my new valve hoping no reintervention

while you're thinking about that:

consider "claims" vs "measurements

Aortic Valve Choices

Nice to meet someone else with a unicuspid valve (well, I used to have one). Your surgery is a day before my AVR one year anniversary. My AVA was .9 at time of surgery. My results from stress echo made my surgeon opt for surgery (even though I was successfully able to run at top speed at the top...

www.valvereplacement.org

and if you were steering towards the On-X because of some perception of lower INR being any sort of meaningful parameter:

Second Surgery 20 Years Later

Hello all, I will be 63 yo this year and I had a valve sparing ascending aortic aneurysm repair almost 20 years ago (2 months shy). I am scheduled for open heart surgery on May 26 for aortic valve replacement due to severe aortic stenosis, and yes, I do have a bicuspid aortic valve. I am...

www.valvereplacement.org

PS: the good thing about taking your time is you can swing back and forward between leaning towards one valve or another only to have a third option you hadn't thought of emerge ;-)

 

[pellicle]

The other choice is to pay out of pocket for supplies and meter and have an understanding with your doc.

I suspect that's actually cheaper in the long run...

 

[pellicle]

Let me add even testing strips cannot be picked up at your neighborhood pharmacy.

good point, but I've been buying online (as many others have here who are from the USA) and its a lot cheaper. This is where I buy from, of course its AU$.

In Australia I could buy from the local pharmacy (because its not a prescription item, that's for drugs) but the cost is high ... last I priced it it was more for a 6 strip tube than I pay for a 24 strip tube.

But its there at least.

 

[Dano64]

I appreciate your best wishes and info, Thank you.

an ascending aortic aneurysm was something I was not aware of.

May I ask, your ascending aortic aneurysm was discovered at the time of the homograft valve surgery? Or time after the surgery? or you developed that aneurysm time after the first surgery?.

My cardiologist never mentioned it until 2018 when the echo tech noticed it. They were not even checking it for many years, so it scared the **** out of me because my cardiologist sounded so shocked. I had no symptoms at all. I was monitored by the surgeon for 3.5 years until it grew to 5.1 cm and I was told it was time. Then I did some research that described the connection between BAV's and aneurysms. It had to have developed after the first surgery in 2001 because it was not mentioned to me by anyone until 2018. My homograft would have kept going but for the aneurysm.

 

[PeterII]

Inspiris Resilia vs On-x, can't decide.



Hello



Looking further, for your opinions and thoughts, hopping not to be too redundant.

im a man and 45 years old with a bicuspid aortic valve, but with a healthy heart (except the aortic valve of course) which is pumping blood at good quantities but at high pressure (believe it’s called vertex), severe stenosis and regurgitation, I'm healthy from everything else.


My doctor told me that it’s time for surgery.

He offers me minimal invasive surgery; but he gives me two options... that’s On-X and Inspiris Resilia.

With On-X I'm scared to be too vulnerable to an accident or that warfarin may damage my body/organs at a long run.



With Inspiris Resilia I'm dismayed of how bad could be my second surgery (even with valve on valve tech), or how common this valve will fail at really early stages (1 to 3 years)?

Could I hope that advances in medicine offer me better options, not available today, for a second surgery 20 years from now?



My surgeon says my heart will be at 100% after the surgery regardless of the chosen valve.

And I like lifting weights at the gym.



I'll highly appreciate your opinions, experience or expertise.

Thank you.

Hi, if you are Ok with having a second and maybe a third O.P.S, then i would go tissue,
if you want to get this done and out of your way for good, they i would go OnX

I had same case as you, bicuspid valve, the rest just fine.

Those were my thoughts when i choose in 2015 at [email protected], My surgeon
gave me same option: 1-Tissue and come back here on your high 70s,
2- Onx and off you go, do not see me again.

I have punched a bag or two, no falls or accidents no consequences,

The OnX vendor claims that INR between 1.5 and 2.0 is OK, but i try to keep
it at 2.0, and it jumps at times from 1.8 to 2.3, no matter, no problems,
just forget about it.

INR is something you learn to manage with a home test machine; $500 or less and the test strips about $6 a week

You can almost , eat 99% of everything u eat now,

For me, as per my Cardiologist/Surgeon, The NO , NO, are Grafefruit, Tummeric Extract, and another couple of herbs, because they work with your liver and the warfarin and things can have they own mind and act in an umpredictable way

There is no right or wrong;

But if having more ops in the future , for sure 1 maybe 2 more, is not a concern
then Tissue is what i would do, but i did not .

That is my opinion, and is just that; no rights or wrong here.

 

[pellicle]

My cardiologist never mentioned it until 2018 when the echo tech noticed it. They were not even checking it for many years, so it scared the **** out of me because my cardiologist sounded so shocked.

as I was reading along there I thought that "maybe they don't say anything because they don't want to worry you" ... then you clarified that it was my initial thought "probably they just don't know this and don't keep up with this". This again makes this place a very valuable adjunct to "your doctors opinion" because in some cases and on some topics we do know more than them.

 

[Dano64]

as I was reading along there I thought that "maybe they don't say anything because they don't want to worry you" ... then you clarified that it was my initial thought "probably they just don't know this and don't keep up with this". This again makes this place a very valuable adjunct to "your doctors opinion" because in some cases and on some topics we do know more than them.

My then cardiologist is now retired, so I don't think they were following along at all. He sounded very nervous when he first informed of the aneurysm. I had the echo test every other year and the valve looked good and I kept getting a thumbs up, see you later. I think he was just coasting. Kind of scary when all he handles is the heart.

 

[Mister_James]

I suspect that's actually cheaper in the long run...

In the long run we are all dead.

US is very good at hiding health costs. You pay $45-$70 per paycheck for your company insurance.

So these folks send your a meter and strips and your deductible and sat its $100 for the year.

Your doctor sends you a bill for your insurance deductible and it's $35.

While the true cost for the year may be $1,500. You only know of your $135.

Next year your insurance moves from say $50 to $55 per paycheck. You don't think +20% You say duh $5...won't even get me popcorn at the movie theater

 

[pellicle]

In the long run we are all dead.

true ... but between now and then, and over the next 10 years ...

I pay $7 a week out of pocked doing it my way and I'm willing to bet that my health insurance costs are competitive too.