Lisa's Posts

Hi, Lisa! I’m so glad your procedure went well and that you’re on the mend! Lots of good luck to you ❤️ My surgery for AVR is next month and I agree, I am so thankful to the outpouring of education and support from this site and to Adam for pulling is all together!

Hi there Lisa - i just had my valve replacement done July 21st. i had the same thing with the swollen belly. i thought it was going to stay forever!!! my bellybutton and everything looked strange. but, good news... it does go away in time. your body will absorb the extra fluid. just took longer than i thought. hope this helps.

Retaining fluid is completely normal. Your heart went through a lot and was unable to work as well for awhile after surgery, so fluid backed up. Everyone has it. I am very skinny and had a fat tire around my waist. Usually one is given diuretic pills which make you pee and lose the water. It can take some time for your body to absorb it. And not getting winded takes time as well. I have to admit that stairs still make me breathless years later. Take care.

Tough call. At 44 when I had my AVR it was a difficult decision but I went with the on-x mechanical valve. All has been good since - I eat and drink whatever I want, surf, volleyball, gym, etc., with no issues. I do hear the ticking and I do home INR monitoring, which has been pretty easy. That said, if I had been your age, I would have strongly considered the Inspiris tissue valve which should get you at least 12-15 years then a subsequent TAVR for another 15-20, with no blood thinners hopefully. I say hopefully bc I know several folks who opted for tissue valves bc of their concerns about blood thinners but ended up being required by their doctors to be on them anyhow. Having just went through this 1.5 years ago, I empathize with the tough decision you have to make. My father and several friends are doctors so they were a great resource in helping me make my decision. I would try to talk to other experts/surgeons and get their opinions. Either way, I’m sure you will do great. Best of luck.

I was 63 when I had to choose, and it was the hardest decision for me. I initially thought I would go with the Onyx valve, but ultimately , I chose the tissue valve. I hope I don’t wear it out prematurely. The younger you are, the quicker the tissue valve may need replacement. It is a tough decision.

Almost everyone struggles with this decision and it's hard to make because there is no right answer. Whatever you choose you'll never know how it might have been. I used to wish I had been 80 when I had surgery so that I could have tissue and not worry about all the years ahead of me. Every patient is different. I've had 2 mechanical valves (aortic and mitral) for the past 5 years since I was 53. The ticking noise is something I really only hear when it's very quiet. I used to put a pillow over my chest so that I wouldn't hear it when it was quiet and I was on the sofa reading. But it's the least of my problems. I have to have a high level of INR because of my 2 valve replacements (especially mitral). Taking anticoagulants takes some getting used to and then it becomes what you do. Like anything new. The initial adjustment to taking anticoagulants can take weeks/months until your INR gets where it needs to be and more stable. It's a pain, and then you get used to it. I still eat everything I want to. I was freaked about anticoagulants for awhile and now they are just a pill I take. Because my heart valve stenosis was radiation induced (from radiation for cancer I had as a teenager) having more than one surgery was not a good option for me. Whatever decision you make is a good decision for you. Everyone has their story. It's very personal. Other patients can tell you about their experiences but there are downsides to both kinds of valves, alas. Otherwise the decision would be easy for everyone! I wish you peace with whatever you choose. It's nice to have a doctor you can trust.

Hi Lisa! I am 55 and had surgery the end of October. I got a tissue valve, the Edwards INSPIRIS Resilia aortic valve. I did not want the mechanical valve and have to take blood thinner the rest of my life. If and when it needs replaced if can be done with the TAVR. I did some research on it and it seemed like a good choice for me.