Whoa Nelly! I'm not endorsing buying a fruit truck of grapefruit. My only point was that almost everything (I think) is on the menu but there are some things that are to be eaten....or drank in moderation. While I no longer drink grapefruit juice I do eat 1/2 grapefruit 2-3 times a month.......I even eat some cranberry (cooked or canned) with my turkey during the holidays. Maybe I should ask my doc???.....I'll pass on that, he might give me an answer I'd probably ignore.
mechanical or tissue valve and an active lifestyle?
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pellicle
Professional Dingbat, Guru and Merkintologist
which has been answered directly to you a dozen or so times already.
Before you grace me with the epithet "Genius" I will request you use something else because I've worked with some actual genius level people and I'm not that standard.
I'm happy for you to call me "dingbat"
pellicle
Professional Dingbat, Guru and Merkintologist
hey, I also found this interesting
this one makes me almost feel a level of sympathy (it must be difficult, and we all struggle to understand)
ON-X valve and on warfarin-didn't fancy another op in my 70s! Big sport in the UK for over 55s is walking football made my come back this week and did 3 x 20 minutes in the sun and really enjoyed it. Walk everyday and count steps every day as well. Next June when i hit 66 will be regular at the walking football very week no problem!
David Robbins
Active member
I concur. When I met my wife who is a vegetarian, she tried to get me to eat vegetarian, but despite the complete amino acid in a balanced vegetarian diet, not all the aminos are as bioavailable as in meat or fish. She also had such a bland diet, I suggested she use more spices and natural flavorings to improve the flavor. She did and I then partook of her salads with nuts and cheese added along with a 5 spice seasoning.
Despite someone’s obsession with certain types of food, I personally won’t eat or drink something you need to acquire a taste for. Nutritious food for any diet can taste good. Conversely, all foods that taste good aren’t healthy over the long term, McDonalds Big Mac, for example. And, after 40 years working in food and agriculture, use organic when you can, because the nasty pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers can accumulate and those minute amounts eaten daily over your lifetime may contribute to cancer and brain related diseases.
So, my autodidactal advice is to eat what tastes good, but focus on the nutritional value.
pellicle
Professional Dingbat, Guru and Merkintologist
its interesting, in Mongolia the only source of fermentable sugars for making alcohol was horse milk ... yep, you guessed it, traditional booze there smells like turned milk.
I'd be totally sober there
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Hi,
My mitral valve was replaced last August and so far I've had no issues with my normal routines. I still go to the gym, lift weights, cardio and etc. INR levels are under control and it's never an issue for me. I still eat everything I did before. To be honest, being young can have an effect on the longevity of a tissue valve. I was told by many hospitals that I visited that a tissue valve wouldn't last me more than 3 to 5 yrs. Aside from the ticking( which you get used to) I have no issues with anything, and I test weekly and so far I'm glad I made the choice I did.
All the best
My mitral valve was replaced last August and so far I've had no issues with my normal routines. I still go to the gym, lift weights, cardio and etc. INR levels are under control and it's never an issue for me. I still eat everything I did before. To be honest, being young can have an effect on the longevity of a tissue valve. I was told by many hospitals that I visited that a tissue valve wouldn't last me more than 3 to 5 yrs. Aside from the ticking( which you get used to) I have no issues with anything, and I test weekly and so far I'm glad I made the choice I did.
All the best
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pellicle
Professional Dingbat, Guru and Merkintologist
I love the good news stories
keep on keeping on (just keep away from steroids)
Best Wishes
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Thanks! No estoroids here. All hard work and dedication 
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Excellent! Thanks for the update. Feedback like this is always helpful to other members.
I'm glad that your team was honest with you. While the majority of cardiologists and surgeons are honest with young patients about what to expect from a tissue valve, as was the case for me, it is disturbing how many seem to make promises to young patients, which are not supported by the evidence. Several times per year we have young members posting on the forum that they are now facing OHS #2, way before the time they were promised. I try to believe that it is not intentional deceit, but just ignorance of the statistics, but maybe I tend to be the type to put too much of a positive spin on things. It really makes me upset to see young patients coming back after 5 to 10 years, after being promised 15-20+ for their tissue valve by their surgeon. Zero evidence to support such longevity, only marketing hope and hype. As I said, most seem to give their patients straight talk and real expectations, but it is upsetting how many just seem to put forward unrealistic expectations, with no evidence to back up their claims.
Anyway, glad your team was honest with you, but especially glad that you're living your best life and being very active. I also have a mechanical valve and lift weights, train in martial arts, bike ride, run, on and on. No limits on my physical activity.
Keep up the good work and please keep us posted of any new insights that you have.
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David Robbins
Active member
I lift heavy weights, do long strenuous hikes, sprint and everything that I did before my St Jude Mechanical Aortic heart valve. I am fitter, stronger and faster then people half my age. Doc said that I have no limitations as long as I control my INR. I’ve always been attentive to my diet snd compliant with critical meds, like Warfarin.
I don’t understand why people don’t research the matter, talk to medical field professionals and live the life they choose. Common sense life decisions can give you the quality and quantity of life you desire. I’m going to skew the longevity stats for heart valve survivors and live into my 90’s; unless I get hit by a truck or shot by a jealous husband…lol
Jack Julles Jackson
Well-known member
Nice to see those posts about successeful lifes with mechanichal valves on vafarin. Waiting for the day I will get my bionic heart.
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I agree. There is a lot of good information out there to indicate that people can live an active life with a mechanical valve. What makes it challenging is that there is also a lot of misinformation out there, or at the very least, misleading information, often promoted by those who stand to lose out financially when patients choose a mechanical valve.
For example, according to Edwards Lifesciences, who only makes tissue valves and not mechanical, you can't have an active lifestyle with a mechanical valve. See quote below and link to their website. And hey, while they're at it, throw in some misleading information about dietary restrictions:
"The INSPIRIS RESILIA valve delivers on the promise of better ongoing patient quality of life without the inconvenience of monitoring, dietary restrictions and reduction of participation in active lifestyles typically seen with a mechanical valve."
https://www.edwards.com/healthcare-professionals/products-services/surgical-heart/inspiris-resilia
I expect that the black helicopters will soon be circling around my house again.
I heard, but haven't verified, that Arnold Schwarzenegger is on his third tissue valve. He chose tissue because, apparently, he didn't want to mess with warfarin, and was apparently concerned that a mechanical valve would interfere with his extreme bodybuilding regimen.
I don't know if this is the case - or if he's even on tissue valve #3, but for active people, the probability that tissue will eventually fail (and mechanicals have a much better track record, usually lasting the life of the recipient) may be a compelling argument for mechanical, unless, of course, you have an agenda that makes mechanical less attractive and don't mind repeat OHS every decade or so.
I don't know if this is the case - or if he's even on tissue valve #3, but for active people, the probability that tissue will eventually fail (and mechanicals have a much better track record, usually lasting the life of the recipient) may be a compelling argument for mechanical, unless, of course, you have an agenda that makes mechanical less attractive and don't mind repeat OHS every decade or so.
The above quote is almost verbatim to a quote in a 2005 Edwards Lifesciences marketing brochure. At that time, they were still manufacturing the Starr-Edwards Ball Valves #1260 and #6120 mechanical valves although they were heavily involved with tissue-type products. That old model 1260 is basically the same valve that was pioneered by Dr. Albert Starr and Lowell EDWARDS in 1960 and Edwards Lifesciences produced it for about 45 years with few modifications........that is a long time for any product to be on the market basically unchanged. It is the same valve that was implanted in me in 1967.........and they sure as hell did not warn me of the dire future I was likely to have. It is true that I have to regularly monitor my INR (no big deal) but I have never had any dietary restrictions or reduction in participating in an active lifestyle........and all on a mechanical valve that is now 56+years old....and still clicking I guess, although I haven't heard it click for over 55 years.
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Arnold had the Ross Procedure in 1997. As expected with all Ross Procedures, when performed on young patients, Arnold then had to get OHS #2 and OHS #3. In 2018 his donor pulmonary valve was replaced and then in 2020 his aortic valven was really his own pulmonary valve, which the Ross Procedure moves to the aortic position, was replaced in OHS #3.
Take a look at the linked video below, which Arnold posted 2 weeks ago, where he talks about his 3rd OHS. He talks about how he was told they can just go through his groin. Well, for both #2 and #3, they were not able to go through the groin with a TAVI or TPVI, but had to do full blown OHS both times. The promise of "we'll just go through your groin for #2 and #3", does not always hold up in the real world. See his quote and the linked article below after his pulmonary OHS#2, in which he hoped for TPVI, but it did not work. See the video, where the same hope was dashed for his aortic valve and had to get OHS #3.
In my view, all patients considering a Ross should be required to know Arnolds story and watch the video below. Keep in mind, his Ross Procedure story is actually a success story, in terms of the possible outcomes of the Ross. His donor pulmonary valve lasted 21 years and his aortic donor (his own pulmonary) lasted 23 years. That is a totally normal outcome for the Ross. Many are not this lucky. We have at least 2 newer members whose Ross valves needed replacement much much sooner than that.
"Because he felt that a mechanical valve (which would require long-term blood thinners) might limit his physical activity (not to mention his acting career) and capacity to exercise, Schwarzenegger elected to undergo a surgery called a Ross Procedure. "
https://www.medpagetoday.com/popmedicine/celebritydiagnosis/89475
Some interesting comments in this article following his 2018 pulmonary valve replacement OHS #2.
"So, people typically do not get their pulmonary valves replaced like he did?
" I went to sleep expecting to wake up with a small incision and woke up with a big one "
Correct. Usually, pulmonary artery or pulmonic valve problems are issues we see in children. His was an iatrogenic pulmonary valve problem, meaning we (physicians) created it."
Yes, his pulmonary valve problem was created because of the Ross, which messes with a perfectly functional pulmonary valve.
https://hcahealthcaretoday.com/2018/04/06/what-was-wrong-with-arnold-schwarzeneggers-heart/
pellicle
Professional Dingbat, Guru and Merkintologist
Won't happen to me ... my surgeon assures me. He's the best in the world
carolinemc
Well-known member
Not everyone has access to a computer much less internet access to do the research, so no need to put people who come here asking questions. And also, many cardiologists are seeing so many patients in one day, they have no time to answer questions to the patients. It has nothing to do with common sense. No need to put these people down for coming here to ask the questions.
carolinemc
Well-known member
Yeah he should have gotten a mechanical valve. But it is his choice to have more surgeries.
Justin Bendell
Active member
I'm ten weeks out of surgery. Mechinical valve. My diet is the same. I watch my consumption of alcohol, but that's a good idea anyway. I walk everyday and last week I walked 15000 steps one day and 18500 steps three days later. I am starting to rebuild my core with squats. Soon I will start jogging and light lifting. The goal is a 5K next year.
