valve lifetime / blood pressure

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Deryck Muehlhauser on December 12, 2010 at 15:17

Hi John,

I was told that my St Jude aortic valve had a "Lifetime" guarantee...I was 72 at the time it was replaced.  Other sources listed that 75 years was a typical lifespan.  If you're 38 now, that would mean it should last until you're 113 :-)

The 25-30 year lifespan you were given for mechanical heart valves seems to be inaccurate compared with this article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_heart_valve

 

Accurate blood pressure at any given time is very difficult to establish.  There are numerous things that can and will affect it: time of day/night, physical/psychological conditions, stress, food allergies, etc...oh...and yes worrying.  I've been there and done that.  The surgeon's recommendation for 6 months to establish a mean BP sounds good.  This site has some helpful information:

http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/medicine/blood-pressure.htm

Cheers, Deryck

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Norfolk on December 12, 2010 at 17:37

Thanks for the reply Deryck, the mech valve info is reassuring and as i thought/hoped. The blood pressure stuff is very usefull, certainly no harm in making a few changes here and there and i'll see what the dr says on Friday.

 

Many thanks

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Joel Hebrink on December 12, 2010 at 22:26

John,

   I've heard of a 20 year life span on tissue valves, but the testing data I've read for my St. Jude's mechanical valve reports a mean failure value of about 300 years.  One thing I would share from experience, is to get a second or third opinion.  The first cardiologist I saw told me I was just out of shape. :-(

 

Regards,

Joel

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Richard Deal on December 13, 2010 at 1:12

this is an interesting one for me as my surgeon told me when he fitted my mechanical aortic valve that generally they are replaced every 30 or so years due to "wear and tear". this means for me that I am looking at having at least one additional replacement during my lifetime, if a brain aneurysm doesn't get me first! in contrast i was told that tissue valves lasted 15 years...

i am not sure the systolic blood pressure has a part to play in leaking valves, but i imagine the diastolic might influence it - but your diastolic looks ok, so all told, no idea!

regarding reducing your blood pressure, if you can exercise then do, also try and shed a bit of weight if there is any to shed (each kilo (~2 lbs) you gain results in an average 2mm/Hg increase in systolic). steer clear of meat as much as you can (difficult, but i only let myself eat meat once a day, if at all, and almost never for breakfast). herbs and spices that have an effect on bp are salt (increases bp considerably - stay clear of processed and fast foods), garlic (lowers blood pressure, and also social acceptance ;P), saffron (lowers bp), valerian (also lowers bp, mostly drank as a tea).

apparently celery, onions, tomato and carrots all play a part in reducing blood pressure too by slowing down enzyme breakdown in the kidneys.

tea is also a diuretic which could help with bp by reducing the overall volume of blood you have in your system...

hope this helps, take care,

r

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Graeme on December 13, 2010 at 9:42

30 years for a mechanical heart valve...I don't think so! STRONGY suggest yo uget clarification from the person who said this..otherwise all the other specialists (including mine!) are telling us a load of 'porky pies'  The reason also that i was given my St Jude mechnical heart valve was that under a 'normal' operating environment it had a lifespan of 100 years...  

 

High blood pressure... Stress (often about your high blood pressure!) is a major factor in high BP - but again.. Ithink waiting 6 months to establish a mean BP is as Deryck said a solid suggestion..

 

cheers

 

Graeme 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Norfolk on December 13, 2010 at 13:38

Out of shape!!! yikes, that is scary. Fortunately, if that is the right expression, i've been on regular check ups pretty much since birth so have had tons of opinions, they've all tallied fortunately. Doesn't mean i'm not out of shape though :-(

 

Thanks Joel
Joel Hebrink said:

John,

   I've heard of a 20 year life span on tissue valves, but the testing data I've read for my St. Jude's mechanical valve reports a mean failure value of about 300 years.  One thing I would share from experience, is to get a second or third opinion.  The first cardiologist I saw told me I was just out of shape. :-(

 

Regards,

Joel

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Norfolk on December 13, 2010 at 13:40

Hi Richard

 

This is whats puzzling me, i do, or don't do, all of these things, could exercise more and quite stressed but HBP at 38 worries me. Got a Drs appointment for Thursday so we'll see what he says.
Richard Deal said:

this is an interesting one for me as my surgeon told me when he fitted my mechanical aortic valve that generally they are replaced every 30 or so years due to "wear and tear". this means for me that I am looking at having at least one additional replacement during my lifetime, if a brain aneurysm doesn't get me first! in contrast i was told that tissue valves lasted 15 years...

i am not sure the systolic blood pressure has a part to play in leaking valves, but i imagine the diastolic might influence it - but your diastolic looks ok, so all told, no idea!

regarding reducing your blood pressure, if you can exercise then do, also try and shed a bit of weight if there is any to shed (each kilo (~2 lbs) you gain results in an average 2mm/Hg increase in systolic). steer clear of meat as much as you can (difficult, but i only let myself eat meat once a day, if at all, and almost never for breakfast). herbs and spices that have an effect on bp are salt (increases bp considerably - stay clear of processed and fast foods), garlic (lowers blood pressure, and also social acceptance ;P), saffron (lowers bp), valerian (also lowers bp, mostly drank as a tea).

apparently celery, onions, tomato and carrots all play a part in reducing blood pressure too by slowing down enzyme breakdown in the kidneys.

tea is also a diuretic which could help with bp by reducing the overall volume of blood you have in your system...

hope this helps, take care,

r

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Norfolk on December 13, 2010 at 13:45

Hi Graeme

Thanks for the reply, can't get back to see here, but am now letting what she said slide a little, it contradicts what i've generally heard.

 

HBP can be caused by worrying about your HBP eh...hmmm, have you been talking to my wife? Then again her approach of shouting 'calm down' at me may not be the best either ;-) 

Graeme said:

30 years for a mechanical heart valve...I don't think so! STRONGY suggest yo uget clarification from the person who said this..otherwise all the other specialists (including mine!) are telling us a load of 'porky pies'  The reason also that i was given my St Jude mechnical heart valve was that under a 'normal' operating environment it had a lifespan of 100 years...  

 

High blood pressure... Stress (often about your high blood pressure!) is a major factor in high BP - but again.. Ithink waiting 6 months to establish a mean BP is as Deryck said a solid suggestion..

 

cheers

 

Graeme 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Joanne Stratton on December 13, 2010 at 20:36

I've been told that there's no lifetime guarantee for mechanical valves & this is because there's not enough evidence to support that they'll last forever (but chances are they will!)  I'm 39 & have just had a mechanical mitral valve.  I have got a tissue aortic valve so I'm facing another replacement anyway. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Norfolk on December 14, 2010 at 13:11

Yeah i guess when it comes to this kind of stuff there's now way they'll give a guarantee, its not like your car breaking down.

 

Blimey one of each, good grief, presumably that was 2 separate operations? We're they far apart?

Joanne Stratton said:

I've been told that there's no lifetime guarantee for mechanical valves & this is because there's not enough evidence to support that they'll last forever (but chances are they will!)  I'm 39 & have just had a mechanical mitral valve.  I have got a tissue aortic valve so I'm facing another replacement anyway. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Joanne Stratton on December 16, 2010 at 21:17

Hi John, yes I've had 2 valve replacement ops.  I had my aortic valve (& root) replaced in Oct 2008 & then I got a shiny new, mechanical, mitral valve in Oct this year.  It wasnt supposed to quite work out like this!  Its quite a long story but briefly, I had an ASD closure & mitral valve repair when I was 3.  My mitral valve has always leaked but it was a mild leak.  When the aortic valve was done I didnt want a mechanical valve for a number of reasons, I didnt want to be on warfarin for ever, I still hadnt given up on having a family at that point & on a much more trivial note, I was worried about the noise!  The plan was that the mitral valve would last until the tissue aortic one wore out & that both would be replaced then.  Unfortunately that didnt happen.  Possibly the movement as my heart settled down after that op caused the mitral valve leak to worsen & thats how I ended up with a mechanical mitral valve 7 weeks ago.  I could have the aortic one done again at the same time but the surgeon advised against it as too invasive, so I will have to have mechanical aortic valve at some point but (hopefully) not for at least 10years!

• ▶ Reply

▶ Reply to Discussion