Waiting room activities......

[Guest]

Hey all

Well I am about 3 weeks out from my 6 month echo check. Last year I was at 1.0 and then last Febuary I had no change. Over the last couple of weeks I have been actually feeling my heart (angina I guess)but only at night when I'm resting and then very infrequent. On occasion I feel a little bit of radiating discomfort going up my chest and shoulders. I work out pretty vigorously with out pain, discomfort or lightheadedness and when I am not thinking about things, nothing.... I feel like sometimes I am my own worst enemy and psyching myself out before a check because I know I'll be out of work for 6-8 months. Anybody else go thru this?

Now for part 2,

I have been trying to research valves, but there is sooooo much out there and I can't figure out what is what for this day and age. Does anybody know what is being used in the US these days? I am thinking I want to go mechanical since I'm 51 but would like to have knowledge on these before I go in in a could of weeks. Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Cactus52]

^^^^This is Cactus52, for some reason I wasn't logged in.^^^^

 

[epstns]

5 Days and no response? Pretty quiet around here of late.

I am not current with the newest of the valves, either. For me, it is because I had my aortic valve replaced 7 years ago, and I'm still doing fine with the Edwards bovine tissue valve I got then. I really am nor sure but if you search the forums here for "Resilia" there was some discussion a few months ago about a newly released valve. I think that one was a tissue valve, though.

Conventional wisdom does suggest a mechanical valve at your age, and the On-X seems to be well-regarded. Most mechanical valves do the same job and work as well as the others, but On-X was, IIRC, working at certifying their valve at a lesser degree of anticoagulation therapy. That could translate to easier management and fewer side effects over the long haul -- and at your age, you will definitely be looking at the long haul.

I hope some of our mech valvers come by soon.

pellicle - can you offer Cactus any up-to-date advice on mechanical valves? (He will see this in his PM inbox.)

 

[Paleowoman]

I really am nor sure but if you search the forums here for "Resilia" there was some discussion a few months ago about a newly released valve. I think that one was a tissue valve, though.)

Edwards Inspiris Resilia, it's a new tissue valve which is designed with much greater longevity so that it can be used for younger patients. It seems to be more in use in Europe than the US, though there was someone posted recently who had it at the Cleveland Clinic.

 

[pellicle]

Hi

5 Days and no response?

Well when I read it the subject and the first bits of the post suggested nothing I could answer.

Had the subject been not clearly waiting room activities I would perhaps have noted the question about valve selection.

I am not current with the newest of the valves, either.

Same here...

So Cactus52 asks

I have been trying to research valves, but there is sooooo much out there and I can't figure out what is what for this day and age. Does anybody know what is being used in the US these days? I am thinking I want to go mechanical since I'm 51 but would like to have knowledge on these before I go in in a could of weeks. Any suggestions?

My view is that a mechanical is a good choice but has some issues that need to be understood. I recently stumbled across this post which I myself feel to be an excellent summary position

http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...-valves-in-young-patients?p=761315#post761315

Read that.

Then my blog post here

http://cjeastwd.blogspot.com/2014/01/heart-valve-information-for-choices.html

​​​​
pellicle - can you offer Cactus any up-to-date advice on mechanical valves? (He will see this in his PM inbox.)

Interestingly this actually triggered me getting an e-mail.

​​​​​​​Anyways, Cactus52 , if you feel inclined I'm happy to chat. Send me an email to my hotmail, and we can tee up a phone call if desired. That's pellicle @ hotmail of course.

 

[pellicle]

PS I do not believe there is evidence to support any of the claims that the tissue valve makers have significantly increased life of their products. I would treat such as marketing Kool-aid

 

[epstns]

PS I do not believe there is evidence to support any of the claims that the tissue valve makers have significantly increased life of their products. I would treat such as marketing Kool-aid

As new as the newest tissue valves are, it will be many years before we have any reliable studies on which to base valve choices. Until then, we only know what we know. . .

 

[pellicle]

As new as the newest tissue valves are, it will be many years before we have any reliable studies on which to base valve choices. Until then, we only know what we know. . .

Exactly.

However with previous cycles of claims vs results on the older generation we can see such was the case then, no reason to suspect that marketing became less agressive. I would say that its reasonable to expect an incremental improvement, perhaps 10% greater durability "in some circumstances".

But then I'm conservative.

 

[epstns]

Exactly.

However with previous cycles of claims vs results on the older generation we can see such was the case then, no reason to suspect that marketing became less agressive. I would say that its reasonable to expect an incremental improvement, perhaps 10% greater durability "in some circumstances".

But then I'm conservative.

. . . And I'm fine with that. It leads to less "buyers' remorse" for those of us who have the previous generation valves. After all, they're only a little bit better. . .

;-)

 

[pellicle]

Hi

. . . And I'm fine with that. It leads to less "buyers' remorse" for those of us who have the previous generation valves. After all, they're only a little bit better. . .

I think its a lot like "real estate" ... people always ask "should I buy now, or delay" the advice is pretty much always "buy as soon as you're ready" and "now is the best time to buy"

I could have delayed buying my place here in Killarney in the hope that I'd have saved a few grand on market shifts. But then I'd have had to live in the street or rent. If I'd rented I'd have had to shift my stuff *again* .. So when you need it, you just get it.

For decades now the decision has come down to basically the same pair of choices:

One of these

or one of these

the various makers of each type will tell you that their verions of either of the above is "better" then the competition. If there was significant evidence that was true then one would have an enormous market lead over the other. I submit that there isn't and its down to the "simple choice" of type 1 or type 2

All else is really just an exerisze in reading maker advertising kool-aid

 

[epstns]

My under-grad major was marketing, so I'm almost afraid to go there. . .

But you're right - if any one solution was found to be significantly better than another, the market would immediately shift there, and we would be hearing/reading about nothing else on that topic. I guess nobody has proven such a case.