Mariel's Posts

Welcome! I understand TAVR usually is a less than optimal approach for bicuspid aortic valves. Outside of TAVR, either a mechanical or tissue valve would be implanted surgically, but there are some minimally invasive approaches, depending on the surgeon and your particular condition. You probably already realize that mechanical valves require anticoagulant therapy permanently, while bioprosthetic valves do not. It's a personal choice for each person. There are many great articles on the web discussing the pros and cons. Have you scheduled a consultation with a surgeon yet?

HI Mariel? Are you considered low risK? Two and a half weeks ago, I had my aortic valve replaced by TAVR under a clinical reserarch study for the low risk for NON bicuspid aortic valves. Before we discovered that I only had the stenosis, I asked my surgeon if I did have a bicuspid if he could still perform the TAVR. He said, "yes", but not under the clinical program I was enrolled in. He said he would have to re-enroll me under the bicuspid study. So, in answer to your question, I think recently TAVR has been used for bicuspids. I was also told that I can have another TAVR without replacing the original or my new one. One surgeon, actually, has advised I could have it several times. But, I don't know that for a fact. If I did not work and it was uncertain as to if I could have multiple TAVR's, I would have seen a surgeon who does minimally invasive. But, as it is, I "lucked" out and had the least invasive, and I had very little pain and a very quick recovery. I wish you the best, and keep us posted!

I hope your appt goes super well. I tried to stick with reputable, well-known medical websites. Both Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic, for example, provide info. CC tends to favor tissue and May leans toward mechanical. There are research studies comparing both and at the time I had my surgery, there was no difference in life expectancy for the two choices. I am not able to have a mechanical or TAVR, so it was tissue for me.