anyone here with a mechanical heart valve?

[onsight512]

I had my aortic valve replaced, with a tissue valve, in 2011 (at 41y.o.). It's about at the end of its useful life and so I'm about to get another one. My cardiologist is advocating for a TAVR procedure. That'd get me a few (five or six?) more years of a carefree lifestyle (no medication), but would guarantee me another OHS later in life. I'm 49 years old now.

I like the tissue valve as it's enabled me to continue living without having to modify my activities. In addition to cycling I'm a rock climber, which is where my concern with blood thinners comes into play.

I figure a mechanical valve is a near-certainty for me at some point, but in theory, I'd wait to get one until I'm 'less active'. I don't know if I'll ever willingly be less active.

I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts & experiences.

thanks,
Chris

[jtakeda]

I think going over all the options with your cardiologist and weighing the pro/cons with them is the best course of action.

Getting an internet opinion from a bike forum is going to lead you down a sketchy path.

Maybe have someone check up to date for you to see if there’s new procedures but your cardiologist is almost certainly doing that regularly.

[onsight512]

I think going over all the options with your cardiologist and weighing the pro/cons with them is the best course of action.

Getting an internet opinion from a bike forum is going to lead you down a sketchy path.

Maybe have someone check up to date for you to see if there’s new procedures but your cardiologist is almost certainly doing that regularly.

I'm more interested in personal experiences of people that have mechanical valves and are very active, physically.
I'm relatively educated on a lot of this, but I don't know anyone with a mechanical valve. I'd like to hear about what it's like to live with one.

thanks,
Chris

[Marvinlungwitz]

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[sipmeister]

Have a great friend in his mid 40's who has a mechanical valve as a result of being born with a bicuspid aoritic valve. I kid you not he has the strength of 5 men. Avid rock climber, mountaineer, backpacker, and hunter. Hard to keep up with him in the steep country. He just doesn't let it slow him down. Super inspirational.

[onsight512]

Doing a valve-in-valve TAVR is an option, but you’re young, and as you’re aware, the new bio-prosthetic will probably eventually need to be replaced.

The On-X mechanical valve requires warfarin anticoagulation, but the INR can be run lower than other mechanical valves when it is used in the aortic position: 1.5 - 2.0 range rather than 2.0 - 3.0. Bleeding complications are thus less likely, and that’s been demonstrated in clinical trials.

Difficult choice, but I think the valve-in-valve TAVR will give you some more active years without the worry of warfarin.

I don’t have personal experience, but most of the people I follow who have mechanical aortic valves do well. Just be glad it’s not a mitral valve - dealing with bridging anticoagulation is a pain in the you know what.

Thanks for that. I hadn't realized that different mechanical valves would run in different INR ranges. I'll do some reading in that direction.

[Ralph]

Don't know much about heart valves.....but have considerable experience with getting older .....I would not plan in advance to be less active as you age if you don't have to.

[2LeftCleats]

By coincidence there are 2 articles and an editorial in the latest New England Journal related to this. The studies show reduced risk of TAVR vs standard surgical approach. They don’t address the longevity of the trans catheter valves as there is not a lot of long term data.

[seanile]

Doing a valve-in-valve TAVR is an option...

hell of a first post:hello:

[onsight512]

Don't know much about heart valves.....but have considerable experience with getting older .....I would not plan in advance to be less active as you age if you don't have to.

Nope. Planning to be less active as I get older is not part of my plan.