Mark's Profile

10/20/2023 UPDATE - I'm 4 months post-surgery. I'll say that the first month after surgery was pretty uncomfortable but all in all, I feel pretty good now. For those wondering, I chose the tissue valve over the mechanical. My decision came down to not wanting to take coumadin for the next 40 years (give or take a few.) Also, when it's time to replace the valve, my surgeon says the TAVR is very much an option. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi, I'm Mark, 39 years old. Married with three vibrant kids, 13, 11 and 7. At 38 years old, a chest CT revealed an aortic aneurysm measuring 4.1 cm around Nov. 2022. I was referred to a cardiologist and later learned I have a bi-cuspid aortic valve. My symptoms around that time were pretty mild, shortness of breath, an annoying cough and mild chest pain. I went to the Cleveland Clinic for my 6 month f/u in May, 2023 and my cardiologist referred me to surgery. The aneurysm was now 4.9 cm. I'm 10 days away from surgery and I have to decide on a mechanical valve vs. a tissue valve.