That dreaded ticking noise

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J

JMCEWAN

Did any of you good people have the On-x valve for AVR. Is so are you pleased with it ? How loud is the ticking noise with these valves. I am leaning towards a mechanical valve as I am only 39 and this seems to be the best on the market especially with the ongoing trial for lower anticoagulation. Am I right or are there better alternatives ?

Thanks
John
 
Mine is St Jude and I never have heard it click or tick. I have however felt or heard a thumping. My nieces wanted to know why I ticked but they are young and have not had hearing loss do to rock and roll:cool:

All in all it does not bother me at all (thank God) but some say it takes them a while to get use to it. But it seems that all do and it becomes a non issue.

Best wishes,

Tom
 
Greetings John,

The On-X valve does seem interesting. Sometimes I wish I had received one instead of my standard St. Jude but we can't turn back the clock. I only hear mine under certain circumstances in a quiet room. It is a soft sound that I find reassuring. Most of the time, I am not aware of any ticking.

Other third generation valves include those from SORIN (made in Italy I believe), ATS, and St. Jude Regent. The design to reduce turbulence and clot formation is certainly appealing!

'AL Capshaw'
 
I do not hear my St. Jude at all anymore. I could hear it for a couple of years after surgery. My SO can hear it and others, at times. I find it to be a fun thing now when a new person hears it and is trying to figure out whether there is a bomb or a loud watch around. Might not be too great on an airplane right now.;) :eek: ;)
I believe the On-X is quieter. You might try to PM Randy (Randy&Robyn) since he had one implanted earlier this year. He would be a good one to find out about it early on.
Best of luck in your research. There is a lot to learn.
 
St. Jude's here.

St. Jude's here.

I have a St. Jude's and can only hear it when it's very quiet in the bedroom and only when I am on my left side or bending over. I don't hear a ticking sound but a thumping sound. Not bad at all and hey, it works. I am 6 years post-up on the 18th.
 
My daughter has an on-x valve and its fairly loud I suppose but I have nothing to compare it too. To give you an example, if shes sitting on our laps we can hear/feel it through us too and if we're swimming other people look at her strangely as they feel it through the water. At night its pretty clear if you're close to her and its quiet but other than that I don't notice it. But I am sure people who actually have the on-x themselves will be along soon to say how it affects them. Chloe has never really mentioned it as she had it from the age of about 18 months and doesnt remember any different. She was quite funny when she first got her valve - she's sit and open her mouth and tilt her head to side listening and saying 'tick, tick, tick...' hehehe bless her!

We're very happy with the choice on the on-x valve though. Have you seen the makers website yet?? Its www.mcritx.com
Good luck with your choice
xxx
 
OOh just noticed you're in England too like us. What hospital do you go to if you dont mind me asking?? Chloe is under Southamton General and was the first UK child to get he on-x (her little claim to fame!)

xxx
 
I hear my St. Judes' clicking in unison, both of them -- it's great, I love it. I don't hear it when I'm not paying attention or if I'm someplace loud.
 
I hear my St Judes too...
listening for it was one of the first things I remember doing after I woke from surgery...I was thrilled.

It did annoy me a few times early on and when I had some irregular heartbeats...but now I love to hear it...it actually puts me to sleep at night. I too was very paranoid before my OP as to how I was going to cope with the noise.

The On-X seems to be a great choice...and owners say they are very quiet.
 
JMCEWAN said:
Did any of you good people have the On-x valve for AVR. Is so are you pleased with it ? How loud is the ticking noise with these valves. I am leaning towards a mechanical valve as I am only 39 and this seems to be the best on the market especially with the ongoing trial for lower anticoagulation. Am I right or are there better alternatives ?

Thanks
John
Click to expand...

John,

I'm a skinny person and I do hear the On-X often and doesn't need to be very quiet for me to hear it. In my experience the On-X as a one single click per cardiac cycle comparable to the Carbomedics and ATS valve. The ticking does not bother me at all, in fact, I do want to hear a clear ticking sound because then I know the valve is operating as it should. There has not been one instance that the ticking annoyed me, for I do hear it but I don't focus on the ticking.

Do better options exist? I don't know, for choosing a valve is very personal. In my case the On-X was the best choice due to it's design features and it's anticipated improved performance such as lower anti-coagulation. Anyways, get as much information as you can for your particular problem and listen to as many people and opinions as you can to make your choice.

Best wishes and take care,
 
Hi John, I have a St. Judes - 4 years ticking & clicking.. and yes I can still hear it.. I listen to music alot with headphones, (MP3 and the like).. if I'm jammin, it's not too bad, but if I'm listening to relaxation music - I can hear it tick to it's own beat outside of the musics'.. it drives me crazy, but it's better then the alternative..

Chris
 
Randyh

Randyh

Randy, sorry I didn't get back to you earlier. Haven't been on the site for quite some time. Anyway all went well. In on Thursday home on Monday. Been about 5 months today. Breezed through re-hab (sixteen weeks) was running the full 18 minutes at over 4 mph by the end. Back in the basketball court full court for about a month now. Surfing as well. I thought DR. Trento did a good job or at least it appears so. I checked out a number of surgeons before I chose Dr. Trento. He is the cheif of surgery and uses a team. Other than the surgeon I think the better shape you are in prior to surgery the faster and easier you recovery will go. Little slow for two to three weeks just walking but after that starts to pick up well. Was walking about 4 miles and starting stairs by the two to three month. Started light upper body weights on month three. All in all not that bad. Only advice would be to pay attention to what and when you are to get meds mostly with the night nurses, some of them can be lazy. Let me know how it went or goes. Email with any more questions or concerns don't worry all will be over before you know it. Later, Steve in S.C.
 
have on-x valve, now 7 weeks. I can hear it ticking sometimes when it's really quiet. of course, since you just had OHS, you're hyper-aware of the sound/feel of your beating heart.

most people can hear their own heartbeat when they lie down and put their head to a pillow -- you can hear pulse.

but for us who've had OHS, we're really tuned to it. by all accounts, it seems like the sound will fade over time, meaning you'll get used to it, like any other sound.

the on-x supposedly holds great promise for little or no coumadin in the future, but we'll see. for now, I'm taking coumadin daily and it's no big deal.
 
JMCEWAN said:
Did any of you good people have the On-x valve for AVR. Is so are you pleased with it ? How loud is the ticking noise with these valves. I am leaning towards a mechanical valve as I am only 39 and this seems to be the best on the market especially with the ongoing trial for lower anticoagulation. Am I right or are there better alternatives ?

Thanks
John
Click to expand...


Hi John,
I was told 2 days before my 40th birthday that I needed to have my Mitral valve replaced. I choose the ON-X valve. I am THRILLED with it.. I too was concerned with the ticking before my surgery...but you know what? Now I dont even think about it. Sometimes I can hear it and sometimes other people tell me they can hear it and I cannot. Like anything else....after awhile it just becomes part of you and you dont even notice it.

The things I thought were going to matter the most before my surgery....really dont matter at all now..after my surgery. Im so thrilled they were able to "fix" my problem...I cannot complain about any of it. My coumadin level is 2.8 - 3.2 (but 2.5-3.5 is still okay). Even the coumadin isnt as much of an issue as I thought it was going to be. I had my surgery on May 31st. 2005. Yours will be in a different position than mine..but really the ticking is not a big deal... At least it isnt for me.. Good Luck.. Krista
 
I got my St. Judes, Regent valve on May 9th of this year. I also find it to be reassuring on the rare occasions I hear it. I must have gotten used to it in the hospital as I have never had it keep me awake at night. Sometimes my wife will comment she hears it when she wakes up in the middle of the night, but she also finds it reassuring as it lets her know I am still breathing (on that rare occasion that my snoring is not keeping her awake).

Best of luck to you and your decision.

Doug
 
Okay, I think I must be an exception to the rule... My St. Jude's valve is LOUD. I hear it just about all the time, though I can ignore it if I'm busy. Generally it's not too big a deal, but when I have a headache or I'm having a hard time getting to sleep, it's really annoying. But it's better than the alternative, I suppose. My card and I both think it's gotten louder over the 4 years that I've had it. I just hope this is as loud as it gets!

I have no experience with the valve you're considering. But I'm betting it's not as loud as mine, simply based on the responses from everyone here. I do happen to be fairly thin, so that may have something to do with it, but who knows...

Good luck in making your decision.
 
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