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PhilipF

New member
Joined
Apr 27, 2022
Messages
3
I had my aortic valve replaced (St Jude) on 6/3/93. Been on Warfarin ever since. Blood checked every 6 weeks. After the first couple of weeks the ticking went away and I barely have thought about it. I was born with a defective valve and it became so calcified that it had to be replaced. No heart disease. I am 80 and exercise daily aerobic and resistance. I wonder how much longer can I expect to last with this valve?
 
Hi

welcome and congratulations

I wonder how much longer can I expect to last with this valve?

To the best of my understanding, no forseeable limits. @dick0236 here has an old ball and cage "platelet smasher" that's still slammin around so as you have a much later generation bileaflet valve from St Jude I believe that as long as nothing else goes wrong (aneurysm ...) and you are within INR range of 2~3 most of the time you'll continue to be fine.

Best Wishes
 
Hi Philip, my father had a St Jude implanted in 1984 which was still ticking problem free when he passed last year, so they really do last your lifetime😊
I also have a St Jude.
 
........ I am 80 and exercise daily aerobic and resistance. I wonder how much longer can I expect to last with this valve?

LOL.....since you have successfully survived 30 years with your current valve it is probably safe to say that your valve will last the rest of the way.......whenever that is. At 80 you have already passed normal life expectancy. Welcome to this forum.
 
Thanks to all the re-pliers. I appreciate the dark humor and good information. I have had an image in my head all these years of being in my grave and my valve still ticking away.

I saw an ad for burial plots, and thought to myself this is the last thing I need.
 
Hi and welcome to the forum!

It is so encouraging to hear all the reports of these valves lasting 25+, 30+, 50+ years.

No heart disease. I am 80 and exercise daily aerobic and resistance. I wonder how much longer can I expect to last with this valve?

These valves were built to keep going and going. Here is a 30 year study on the St Jude mechanical valve, the valve which you and I have. The study observed recipients of the St Jude aortic and St Jude mitral valves.

"CONCLUSIONS
The St Jude mechanical valve remains highly reliable. We observed no structural failures in more than 30 years of follow-up, and reoperation was rare."

https://www.jtcvs.org/article/S0022-5223(18)32341-9/pdf
 
It's also fair to say you have become hard of hearing at 80 from all the swing jazz then rock and roll to disco and now hip hop.
The valve didn't go quiet. Hearing said I am outta here.:LOL::ROFLMAO::LOL::ROFLMAO::LOL::ROFLMAO:
 
swing jazz then rock and roll to disco and now hip hop.
The valve didn't go quiet. Hearing said I am outta here.
personally I did quite a lot of audio work for bands in my 20's and while I now hear cicadas all the time I can't actually hear my valve, only feel it (like a 60hz kick drum sound that's felt at concerts)

its a lottery ;-)
 
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