On-X valve longevity - Important!

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sensei Ade

Well-known member
Joined
May 4, 2011
Messages
57
Location
uk
Hi all,
I have been in discussions with On-X themselves to get their feedback about possible complications with these valves over the long term. I did this because I saw some threads last week talking about infections, loosening sutures etc which made me feel a bit jittery, so I wanted to look into this a bit more. Below is the response that I've had from them today which is very encouraging and reassuring for all of us On-X men and women.

Thank you for your question. We hope you have fully recovered from your valve replacement. The pyrolytic carbon in On-X valves will last more than 100 years under normal pressures in the body. We have not received any report of failure of a valve due to structural wear and do not expect that we will.

The reoperative rate for the On-X valve is very low--under 1% and comparable to that of all replaced valves. The risk of reoperation long after surgery is mainly from infection or scar tissue growth. "Loose sutures" is usually an issue at the time of surgery and rarely develops after surgery in the absence of infection (endocarditis). Clotting can also cause a reoperation so it is important to take anti coagulation medication as prescribed by your physicians--this complication occurs less often with the On-X valve as shown in clinical trials.

Scar tissue growth that interferes with the valve is common with other heart valves, but, so far in 15 years of implant, we have not received an official confirmed report of scar tissue interference for the On-X valve. The near natural length of the valve is most likely the reason for this.

The main way to combat the risk of infection is to make sure you take an antibiotic when undergoing any invasive procedure including dental work and colonoscopy. Make sure your physicians are informed about your replaced valve and make sure you have regular check ups for the valve including echocardiography.

If you suspect any issue related to the valve, please consult your physicians as soon as possible. You are correct in staying completely informed about the possibilities for complications but try to remember that you have an implanted valve that has shown the lowest complication rates of all the products on the market. And try not to worry for your own peace of mind. Complication rates are low especially if you take care of yourself.

We hope this answer helps. We wish you the best for a great 2012!
 
I recently had a discussion with the president of On-X: Dr. Jack Bokros. He happens to be the one who pioneered the pyrolitic carbon used in all bi-leaflet valves. One of the things I was impressed with was how he described the On-X carbon. He said that when they first discovered the right balance and created a ring of it, they were able to bend the ring into a football shape before it broke, unlike silicon alloyed carbon, which is more brittle. The ability to create an inlet flare, a feature of the On-X that makes a lot of sense from a fluid dynamics point of view, attests to the toughness of the material. He's 80 years old and this is his latest creation. He clearly believes in his product.
 
Hi Rob,
You're very welcome, and I hope that 2012 is a great year for you too :)

All the best

Sensei
 
You spoke to Dr Bokros himself, wow!!! This is all great stuff. By the sounds of it our respective valves will outlive us by a mile. Thanks for sharing this and have a great New Year with your family and enjoying all your various hobbies.

Best regards

Sensei
 
I guess I've been out of the loop, Rob. What the heck is a frozen elephant trunk procedure??
It always makes me a bit unhappy to read that the best way to avoid infection is to take antiobiotics before invasive procedures.
This lulls us into thinking we won't get endocarditis if we do this. Sadly, it isn't the case. Maybe my case is unusual, and most people do get infections from invasive procedures. I really don't know.
Anyway, isn't it nice to get a response from the source.
Happy New Year to all!
 
I guess I've been out of the loop, Rob. What the heck is a frozen elephant trunk procedure??
It always makes me a bit unhappy to read that the best way to avoid infection is to take antiobiotics before invasive procedures.
This lulls us into thinking we won't get endocarditis if we do this. Sadly, it isn't the case. Maybe my case is unusual, and most people do get infections from invasive procedures. I really don't know.
Anyway, isn't it nice to get a response from the source.
Happy New Year to all!

Hi Gail,

This is a procedure that Dr. Roselli performed to help re-enforce my dissected aorta.
Basically he sewed a stent with Dacron tubing to the descending section of my aorta.
The stent is sewn into the aorta, and the dacron tubing descends from it. (Like an elephant trunk, so to speak).

When I first went to CCF to discuss replacing my existing St. Judes aortic valve, they also discovered that I had an aneurysm in the arch of my aorta. My caradid artery went into this aneurysm area. so, they had to relocate, or, bi-pass, my caradid artery away from the aneurysm, and then "coil" the aneurysm area in hopes that it would prevent further deteriation. They also decided to perform the elephant trunk procedure at this time. So, all in all, my surgery involved aortic root repair, mechanical valve replacement with graft, corotid artery bipass, aneurysm coiled, and elephant trunk procedure. YIKES.... it involved a total of 30 days in the hospital recuperating.

Happy New Year... Life is good!

Rob

ps.. apologies for all the fragmented sentences and mispelling. It seeme "ispell" does not work so good with my Win 7.
 
I'm so happy for you, Rob, that all went so well with this procedure. I was in the hospital 4 times with BE and surgery and it didn't add up to 30 days! How did your back survive the awful hospital beds?
Anyway, to all of us, the best of years in 2012!
 

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