As you've had mitral repair and not replacement, your choice of painkillers is unaffected (unless you are currenty on warfarin [Coumadin] or other drugs for ACT).
For someone on ACT (AntiCoagulation Therapy), please ensure your doctor is fully in the loop on any painkillers or other over-the counter medications you are taking.
Ibuprofen may not be appropriate if taken by someone on ACT, especially if they are just starting out on warfarin and their dosage is not yet stable. Ibuprofen is an NSAID, and can cause stomach bleeding, which could be a problem if a not-yet-controlled INR is too high.
http://www.drugs.com/tylenol.html:
The maximum amount of acetaminophen for adults is 1 gram (1000 mg) per dose and 4 grams (4000 mg) per day. Taking more acetaminophen could cause damage to your liver.
This can be true in even smaller doses if the patient is a consistent moderate to heavy drinker, especially if used often.
http://www.medicinenet.com/acetaminophen/article.htm makes an interesting notation:
Acetaminophen doses greater than 2275 mg per day may increase the blood thinning effect of warfarin (Coumadin) by an unknown mechanism. Therefore, prolonged administration or large doses of acetaminophen should be avoided during warfarin therapy.
2275MG would be the equivalent of only seven, "regular strength" (325MG) tablets during a 24-hour period, or five "extra strength," or four "Arthritis Pain" caplets. These are well within normal dosage ranges, so be aware of this possibility. Again, this could cause misdosing of Coumadin for someone who is just starting out on ACT, so make sure your doctor is in the loop.
http://tylenol.com/page.jhtml?id=tylenol/ask/subpfaq.inc displays the over-the-counter standard amounts (rearranged here for easier reading when posted):
TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain: 650MG Acetaminophen each caplet, Bi-layer immediate release & extended release, Dosing adults 18 years of age & older Two caplets every 8 hours, Do not exceed 6 caplets in any 24-hour period
Extra Strength TYLENOL®: 500MG Acetaminophen each caplet, Immediate release, Dosing of children 12 years of age & older Two caplets every 4-6 hours, Do not exceed 8 caplets in any 24-hour period
Regular Strength TYLENOL®: 325MG Acetaminophen each caplet, Immediate release, Dosing of children 12 years of age & older Two caplets every 4-6 hours, Do not exceed 12 caplets in any 24-hour period
Best wishes,