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Thanks, DMS. I met my surgeon yesterday, and we talked over the options; he really doesn't think there's any advantages to either type (tissue or mechanical) at my age and shape, other than the obvious... re-op in 15 yrs or warfarin forever. He grinned and told me to let him know what I had decided just before they knocked me out.

I still have a few days to think about this; thanks for the extra information, and glad you're doing so well. As was said, either option is going to be better than what I got now; I'm ready to be over this.

Jim
 
Well said. Either mechanical or tissue improves what you now have. A tissue valve does not automatically rule out anti coagulation either.
There's definately a learning curve to warfarin as well.

Eat a well balanced diet and dose that diet. Don't accept advice to avoid "greens".
You will need an INR manager that understands warfarin philosophy. Too many "professionals" don't. Sad but true so learn all you can. For the most part low readings are worse than high.
Know your range and don't accept anything below it as being OK. It isn't. Following my first TIA, being stupid, I trusted my "professional" manager and had two more before I smartened up.
Point of care (POC) with a home monitor is recommended. Enquire if training is available through the hospital where the surgery takes place.
Read the "stickies". There's a wealth of info there.
 
Thanks, my brothers and sisters of the zippered chest.

I have decided to go with the ON-X valve, and hope for better things in the ACT department. My surgeon is Dr. David Ross, operating at the Mazankowski (Edmonton) Heart Institute at the University of Alberta Hospital, and I have great confidence in him. I have family, friends, and faith; I really believe this is all going to be OK.

I want all of you to know how much your example and sharing has meant to me during this pre-flight period... I am calm and (insanely) looking forward to this. The waiting has been hard, but reading your stories has helped me to keep it together.

I go in tomorrow AM, so I'll be off the radar for a day or two, anyway. See you on the other side!

Wish me luck!

Jim
 
Hey Jim,

Well my thoughts and prayers will be with you tomorrow morning as you take your journey to the other side. It's all going to work out just fine, and hope to hear from you when your in recovery and feeling up to it. God bless you and your wife.

Doug
 
Hello Jim,

Thanks for letting us know--will be thinking of you tomorrow.

Understand in a way the "looking forward to this" bit. My husband (and I) are in the waiting room still, so to speak, and my husband says he just wants to get on with it, so he can get out the other side and move forward...been in a holding pattern for about a month now.

Anyway, all the best and get back to us when you are up to it.
 
Hi Jim,

I'm also thinking of you as you head into surgery, and I also insanely looked forward to mine, (like you, to getting it over and moving on that is)!

Wishing you a very smooth recovery.

Rachel
 
Hope all went well you are in my thoughts and prayers.
I have pretty much decided on mechanical unless advised strongly by my surgeon to consider tissue.
Ironically, I was intitially absolutely against a mechanical. Now I am definitively for it. I will finally be meeting with surgeon real soon.
Follow-up next week with cardio on 12/4's tee and cath. I know that my surgeon favors the On-X as a mechanical choice. So, I will not be surprised if he tells me that is where he believes we should go. Because I also need aortic root repair...I would not be surprised if he goes with the ON-X VALSALVA graft and valve. If he does we are On-X Brothers. We all look forward to your words on a successful surgery and a nice progression in your recovery. I have been told that the ON-X valves sounds like a subtle chime...I know I will feel that it is a sound of renewed health and the renewed spirit for all that is good in life. How do you find the sound of your renewed heart and it's new valve?
 
Well, this will be my last post in this presurgery thread. I am now an official member of the Order of the Zippered Chest.

My surgery went fine, I was in icu less than 24 hrs, and I an now in cardiac care for the next 5-6 days.

This hurts like hell, but it is getting better each hour. I will check in later, when I get a chance.

Thanks for the thoughts, prayers, and support.

Jim
 
Jim,

Good to hear from you so soon, glad things went as planned. Welcome to the other side. When you are up to it, you will take a walk down to the healing gardens, nice sitting area to look over the city. Well stay on course and we will chat soon.

Doug
 
JiFaire said:
Hi Greg - thanks for the input... I'm really quite worried about the Coumadin and bleeding; I just KNOW I'm going to have more dental work, and pulling teeth with an anticoagulant in my system just seems like a bad idea. I think this is probably a case of "I know just enough to scare myself, not enough to be useful"... I'm revising my opinions on this by talking with people on here who live with Coumadin, including yourself.

I appreciate your "2 cents".

Jim
Click to expand...

Hey Jim, I am surrounded by dentists and dentist students in my family, (and here's me with my bad teeth...oh brother)..anyway, 'generally speaking" don't worry if you are on warfarin and having dental work....seriously. If your warfarin is reasonably well controlled, do you know what many dentists do if they have to work on you when you are on warfarin? Nothing different to anyone else. Honestly, being on warfarin will typically just increase your blood clotting time, and you will bleed a bit more until a good clots forms, but just do what they tell you (like no eating or drinking until bleeding stops, and keep a pack in place, then its no problem at all for the vast majority of warfarin patients. Just to confirm this a bunch of dentists ahd a professionald development day just recently, and this very topic was mentioned, and a senior dentist said that over 25 years he had only had 1 patient who had to go to hospital after a dental procedure because the bleeding didn't stop completely, and it was because their warfarin level (INR) was too high, and even then the bleeding still wasn't life threatening....so I know everyone is different, and some people have very serious clotting disorders, but "generally speaking" for most patients taking warfarin as directed its not even necessary to come off the warfarin to get dental procedures done. I would be more worried about coming off the warfarin and getting a clot/stroke than having some denatal bleeding ....anyway, that my 2 cents for what its worth...:)
 
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