What is the most quiet of valves

Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Valve Replacement Forums

Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
W

William McQueen

As a person who interviews persons on camera and in extraordinary circumstances, often very quiet places, is there any valve which is considered more quiet than others?

Bill in Toronto, Ontario. Canada
 
welcome bill

a tissue vavle will be more quiet than a mechanical valve. i have a tissue valve. in all honest i don't think anyone will be hearing your valve while you are interviewing them. my understanding with the mechanical valves is that the only time you can hear them is when you are lying down in bed and everything is real quiet or when there is TOTAL silence in the room and you are trying to hear the valve open and close. if you are doing an interview, there is bound to be background noise that will drown out any noise that your valve makes.

rich
 
I have a feeling you're right in general, but when I put on a lav mic it's going to be about two inches from the valve. I could switch to a hand mic, but I can just hear my camera operator the first time.... (even if I tell him before hand).

I'm trying to work out a routine, but won't really know 'till I get there, I guess.

Still, I wonder if I should talk with the surgeon before hand (only a week away, though) and the preop seminar is on Tuesday.

Cheers,
 
Hi William-

This would be a very important thing to discuss with your surgeon. Some valves do make more noise than others. One of our members has the unique position of knowing firsthand about one valve versus another. Her name is Christina. You could private message her, but I think she's traveling right now. She threw a clot shortly after her surgery and had to have another valve replacement. Her first valve was very noisy and the second one is much better. If you go to the main page and look at the personal stories, you could read about her experience.
 
Hi Bill,

Isn't this group great? I found it prior to surgery in December. It made a difference in my pre op jitters and post op fears.

Your questions are interesting and I will be looking forward to the replies.

Maybe your partner will get involved in reading the posts. I had my husband do some research for me. Maybe there is something you can include your partner in...exercise or diet planning or something that suits their level of interest or skills. Or is it complete denial, fear that they may lose you?

I have a new St Judes Valve. I have been told that the newest model is more condusive to easy blood flow across it and the sound is minimal.

I have also been concerned with interviews etc and the noise but ALL swear to me they cannot hear it. In fact, Doc's I work with tried very hard to hear it and could not without a stethoscope. I hear it on rare occassions when it is extreamly quiet or in bed at night on my left side only.

I have also obtained an INR checking machine. Hopefully, I will find out if I should keep it as insurance is processing my claim this week. Sure makes a difference in ones feeling of security and lifestyle! To say nothing of saving my blood vessels. Also, per my surgeon, lowers any risk factors of anticoagulation. I just need to get my PCP on board with it. He does not feel it is necessary.

Valve selection is a tough aspect of resolving this heart problem.

Hope you will keep posting as you go along,
Donna
 
Ticking? What Ticking?

Ticking? What Ticking?

Hello and welcome, Bill

I have 2 St. Jude mechanicals, and the noise they make is somewhat variable...most of the time you can barely hear them even if you are trying to (in fact I can't hear them sitting here at the computer right now). Other times they are somewhat louder, and this seems to be related to whether or not I'm retaining fluid. In any case, most of the sound seems to come out more on my left side, like under my left arm, rather than out of the center of my chest.

If you were hanging a lavalier mic on me (I used to work in TV engineering), I seriously doubt it would pick up the sound. I tried unsuccessfully to record my clicking once so I could post a sound file on this site, but none of the mics I own picked up anything other than my stomach growling :D .

In any case, the sound when you CAN hear it is very delicate, and since I have 2 valves it really does sound like a watch, with one having a "tick" quality and the other a deeper "tock" kind of sound. I have been told by more than one nurse or technician that I have "noisy" valves, and I've met a few people whose mechanical valves I could NOT hear no matter how hard I tried.
 
Valve Noise

Valve Noise

Concerning the tissue valves, my cow valve is very quiet.
I do understand that pig valves raise such a noise around Bar-B-Q shops. Welcome to the club. And be sure you have a good pillow. You won't leave home without it for awhile.
I am a physicist and my wife an artist. She thinks the computer is something to keep me busy when it is too cold for golf. But they all know more than you'll ever believe. Sandra knew just what, when and how to help me make it through the process. Wives are all wonderful and you will be just fine.
You both are in my prayers.
 
Probably depends on who you are interviewing.

Probably depends on who you are interviewing.

When my heart beats hard is when you can hear it the clearest.
 
There was that one time.... you were in the hospital.

There was that one time.... you were in the hospital.

What?! You don't even remember it?! :p
 
Ross- Rain

Ross- Rain

Ross..I have told you a thousand times. NO internet S__talking with Rain...:p :p :p Your Therapist
 
I'm innocent!

I'm innocent!

I'm thinking you and Ross may be doing a little too much therapy on each other! :eek: :p
 
I have a really serious problem here. If the valve replacements make enough noise so I can't work afterwards, I will be in difficult straits.
If anyone can impart some practical information about their specific mechanical valves and their experience, I would greatly appreciate it.

I have spoken to my surgeon, but he says he has not had experience with my specific "noise" problem before and I'm not sure who his resources might be.

Thanks for any collective wisdom.
 
Why not do a show on valvers with different valves? Their life stories would be interesting and you could shed some light on the surgery. Then you could test their valves on air.
 
I had another couple of thoughts. Quite a while back someone posted a site that had heart valve sounds of different manufacturers. I don't have time to search it, but maybe someone can remember that post and resurrect it.

I found this site:

http://members.evansville.net/ict/heart sounds.htm

Also see if you can talk with an echocardiogram technician. They do Doppler flow testing on valves and will probably know which ones are the quietest, or might be able to direct you to some sound wave files used in medical training, maybe at a medical library.

Failing that you could ask that question of an online cardiologist. Hensylee knows one who is wonderful at answering questions. Private Message her and ask about Dr. Rich and how to contact him.

Do a search on Google about "heart valve sounds" I came up with some sites which led to accoustic labs which do testing on various valves. I don't have the time to do a deeper search into those sites, but maybe you could.
 
Under the sheets

Under the sheets

Unless you are interviewing someone under the sheets at 2 a.m. I don't think you will have a problem. I believe 80% of us with mech. valves say that is the only time we can hear it. My hubby has never mentioned it. The only other time I hear it is when I take a deep breath.then only for a second. Bonnie
 
Any biological valve will be the same as your heartbeat in terms of loudness.

I've had both a homograft and a stentless. You can't tell the difference. I can't imagine a stented valve being any different.

The reason mechanical valves click is the leaflets. Biologicals do not have hard materials to produce any notable clicking sounds. I'm not a doctor, but the only thing I can imagine that would make a difference would be a slight whoosh sound from reduced hemodynamics, but it's certainly not going to be any louder than your own heartbeat.

I have a bad murmur from an enlarged ventricle, as well as an aortic graft and it still is not perceptable to my wife unless she's got her ear right on my chest.
Kev
 
I have a St. Jude's mechanical valve in the mitral position. I can hear mine at night and when I am in the bathroom where there is no other noise. I can hear it also in public restrooms. Funny euh? When I went for my echocardiogram last month, the tech asked me which position my valve was in because she could hear it clicking in the exam room. She had not even opened my chart.

My daughters also say they can even hear it when they are in another room if our house is fairly quiet.

I have a friend who just had a St Jude's aortic mechanical valve put in in April and I was visiting with him in his living room and could hear this constant clicking and was trying to decide if it was me or him! I think it was him. His seems extra loud. Maybe because of the aortic position?
Personally, I didn't think I would ever get used to the noise. The doctor said it would eventually be like white noise, but I think I finally can say that often now I have to concentrate and really listen for it. (except in the bathroom!!)
Hope this info helps.
 
Mr. Science proposes an experiment

Mr. Science proposes an experiment

William, find a pocketwatch with audible ticking, and put it in your shirt pocket. Mic yourself up and see if it hears it. I'd bet the pattern of most lav mics wouldn't pick it up. Try it in several positions.

Maybe your surgeon can hook you up with someone who has a mechanical valve(s) so you can have a listen? Perhaps there would be privacy issues here.

I think there was a site some time ago that had a comparison of the various valve brands with sound files that you could play. These were recorded in water tanks, I believe, and NONE of them sounded anything like my valves. They sounded much more "thumpy" and loud, so if you find these, don't conclude that they necessarily sound like they would in your chest.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top