r/valvereplacement

Hello all. It’s been 2 years, and today we have heard that my mother (65F) can not go on any longer without surgery. Her left heartvalve used to be worse than her right heart valve, but as of right now, her right heartvalve has gotten much much worse. The doctor told us she needed surgery ASAP. They were talking about an open heart surgery.

I’m anxious. Words can’t describe how much I dreaded this moment. I don’t know what to do, or expect, or to say. I’ve been crying non-stop. The internet is filled with doomstories. Can you guys share your experiences and possibly take a bit off the anxiety? I guess I just need something to hold onto.

My father is 57 and got a stent put in following a widow maker heart attack about nine years ago. He’s rather stubborn and only attends his cardiology appointments a few times a year and does everything in his power to avoid stress tests and whatnot.

A month ago he finally did one and they found “abnormal activity”. After doing some more tests, they concluded that he had another blockage in his heart, so they made him an appointment with a cardiovascular institute.

We get there, he goes into surgery for his stent, and about twenty minutes later the doc pulls us aside and tells us that it was unsuccessful and that we’re now looking at a bypass surgery.

That in itself is an awful thing to hear, but my father called me last night with even more devastating news: he needs a new heart valve as well, and they’re doing everything in one go.

I’m scared of complications during the procedure as well as afterwards during the recovery process. My father is a very active man, so I know doing nothing but laying around for a few weeks is going to depress him. I’m also worried sick about how he’ll view his physical body after this. He’s not a fan of scars, much less a huge one spanning all the way down his chest.

Also… is the ticking really that audible? I feel like that might drive him insane considering he can’t even stand the tick of a clock.

How can I support him mentally and physically through the recovery process? I already googled it, but it would be fantastic to hear from somebody who has been through something similar themselves or has helped out a loved one in a similar situation.

I’m 21 and scared shitless. I don’t wanna lose my father. Best wishes y’all.

So I was told I had medium to severe stenosis last year. About 6 months ago I started having lots of tachycardia, palpitations, and fatigue.

I’m scheduled to have another echocardiogram on June 11th, but I’m scared because now I’m having pain (mild ache) with the tachycardia.

I just saw my new cardiologist a few days ago and she set up the echo. She said she’s checking for critical status.

I’m 74 years old and my husband just passed away 6 weeks ago. I’ve been in shock about that and have been in deep grief. I cry every day. Now I face this just when I don’t have the will to face it.

Has anyone else had pain (angina) before their TAVR? I have never felt like passing out, it’s when I stand up or sit down or make a sudden move, that the painful tachycardia starts.

It only lasts a minute or two at most.

I’m just worried that she’s waiting too long for the echocardiogram.

My PCP discovered a heart murmer four years ago (I am currently 53). After various scans it was determined that I had a bicuspid heart valve. I has never noticed any symptoms, biked and hiked very regularly with no ill effects. I did my annual echo this April, and antipated some progression but assumed that a valve replacement was still a decade away.

At my follow-up with my new Cardiologist, he informed me almost right away that he believes that I will need a mechanical valve within the next two years.

I am trying to be cool about it, but am not.

I don’t really have any questions—I understand that these procedures are pretty sucessful, and I am currently pretty healthy overall. Life-long warfarin and 3-4 months recovery does not sound great.

I was originally advised to have an AVR by June 2025; I had the AVR in December 2024... Yesterday I used AI to upload all my scans and test reports up to the surgery, and asked: would I have survived until now (May 2026) without surgery?... The answer was pretty clear.... not likely.
I'm 49, so not sure if these are real thoughts connected to the AVR or contemplative "turning 50 and reflecting on life" questions...

It also impacts ideas I have about how I should be living the life I now have... is every day a blessing, or have I just "dealt with the issue" and should now carry on as normal?

Does anyone have similar thoughts/feelings? Especially younger patients?

In 16 days, I will be going in for a Ross procedure with Dr Burke at the UWMC. He’s an experienced surgeon - 180+ Ross‘s under his belt. Only one perioperative mortality.

He confirmed the plan is Ross - based on my anatomy - with an On-X mechanical as backup.

He did a few surgeries for people right here on this sub. Got all my questions answered, took lab tests, got a chest xray. Smooth sailing.

They’re very reassuring. He told me he was doing a much more complex surgery (porcelin aorta) tomorrow, but “We do hard things here.“ The nurse and PA were great.

Key things to remember for the next 2 weeks: no supplements, no NSAIDs. Easy exercise. Stay calm. Don’t get sick. I guess I’m done licking doorknobs for a while.

Hi!! Well the time is here. At a bright and early 5:30 a.m., I will be undergoing a Ross Procedure with Dr. Quarti at Houston Methodist! I’m equal parts nervous and excited! I’ll update tomorrow if I’m up for it, or when I can. I’m thankful to this group and community for making this waiting period MUCH easier. Talk soon🫀

Hii team member
My brother stenosis last year mean gradeint 22mmhg
This year even not year after 11 month we done echo 34mmhg
Valve area same how it is possible
Anybody in this group stables for years we are very sacred he is just 27 years old

I need a mitral valve replacement. At this time, I am planning to travel to a specialized heart institute in a major city about four hours from home because I feel very confident in the surgeon and facility there. At the same time, I wonder whether my local surgeons and hospital systems may be capable of handling the surgery as well.

I’m concerned about the recovery logistics — specifically, how soon after MVR people were able to tolerate travel such as a 4+ hour car ride home.

For those who chose a hospital outside their own city, how did you decide, and how difficult was the travel after surgery?

Hello,

34M

I had open-heart surgery at Northwestern with Dr. Malaisrie on May 14, 2026. Initially, the surgery was expected to last about six hours, but it unexpectedly extended to around eight and a half hours because we had to control bleeding during the suturing process.

I have a clear memory of the post-operative period. Speaking was challenging, but I managed to write notes for my wife. I also recall the insertion and removal of the breathing tube, which was particularly difficult.

The recovery process has been tough. I successfully removed one chest tube the next day and removed the remaining two on the second day. As of today, I’m on the third day of post-operative care and plan to leave the Intensive Care Unit this morning.

Overall, they mentioned that the surgery was a resounding success, and the repair was flawless. I feel incredibly positive about that. Additionally, coming into day three, you experience a significant boost in energy and a reduction in pain.

I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to go home this upcoming Tuesday. I’d really appreciate any feedback or insights you might have about post-operative care. If you need more details about my surgery, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Welp, waiting time is over. Going in for AVR (M43 BAV) - probably via Mini-Sternotomy. Things are different here in Germany it seems. There was no big meeting beforehand. I briefly talked to a surgeon who wont even operate on me but works at the same hospital because I was anxious and kept contacting them via Phone/E-Mail until they gave me an appointment 🫠. They will look at my CT/MRI/Echo results tomorrow and then talk with me about the final plan.

Still cant decide on valve choice. Hope they will force me going into one direction. I dont even care at this point anymore and just want it to be over and feel better.

Apparently they do a modern approach here now and let you "carb load" and drink before the surgery and "mobilize" you a few hours after. So lets see how this will work out for me. 😶‍🌫️

My biggest headache now is packing my stuff. I assume I wont be in the mood for using my laptop. So ill probably just stick to my cellphone + holder + wireless in-ears. Gonna load up on my favorite Vasa snack assuming the hospital food will be bad.

Didn't prepare anything at home. My mom will be with me for the first days though potentially helping me out if something comes up.

So, yeah, hopefully i'll be still here in a few days, considering that I already booked my vacation for july. 🤣

::EDIT::

I am sitting in my hospital bed now. I met 4 surgeons in total and the anesthesiologist. We are going for the Inspiris Resilia Bio-Valve. Hopefully the research data in the next years will still be going strong with no signs of degradation. Tomorrow morning they will put me under. Cya on the other side!

I am 7 weeks post op for my second AVR. My first surgery 10 years ago left me with left branch bundle block, and my second surgery has left me with 1st degree heart block (no pacemaker needed).

Since my surgery and now having the 1st degree heart block, I have noticed that my Apple Watch (Series 9, a few years old) is not really tracking my HR super accurately - I’m guessing because the electric impulses it is programmed to track are different with the heart block. I have confirmed it’s off both through manually taking my HR, and it also sometimes doesn’t match up with my monitored HRs at cardiac rehab. My HR has kind of been all of the place since I am on metoprolol so I’d love to be able to track it when I’m out on walks and during workouts.

For those with 1st degree heart block, have you been able to find a fitness watch that you have found to accurately track your HR? I am open to all options!!

I know the chest straps can be a bit more accurate but at this point the chestband of my bra is uncomfortable enough, so that’s not going to be an option!

Baby aspirin and now heparin? Is that customary right after surgery to prevent clots?
That’s what nurses opined.

Hello!

I’m 34f & was diagnosed with Quadricuspid Aortic Valve 2 months ago and it has progressed severe regurgitation & stenosis. I’m having OHS on June 1 to get a On-X mechanical valve.

I’ve been reading medical websites, Reddit forums, etc. to try to get ready for recovery but I got some mixed feedback from my surgeons head nurse.

She told me that I won’t need to sleep on a wedge pillow or in a recliner, won’t need anything more than motrin (not that I want to stay on opioids), and will be able to return to my full life after being released from the hospital. My stay is estimated to be 7-10 days.

I’m not sure if she’s correct or what’s going on so I wanted to ask this forum what recovery post hospital is going to be like?

I expected a lot of sleeping, some walking, trying to eat, and being pretty laid out the first month.

EDIT: I will be doing a full sternotomy!

Hey everyone! 40m just diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve and a sinus of valsalva aneurism measuring 5.1cm. I’ve had an echo cardiogram and a CT scan both showing the same thing. Echo shows mild regurgitation and no stenosis. The rest of my heart is functioning normally. I feel lucky to have caught this as I was deadlifting heavy weights a couple weeks ago!

My cardiologist has started the referral process to a cardiothoracic surgeon.

I’m in North Carolina and have family in the triangle area, so my top 2 options close to home are UNC and Duke university hospitals. Does anyone have experience with these? Would looking out of state be worth it? My third option is Mission in Asheville but it’s a backup - that hospital is a mess.

Finally, I’m wondering if anyone has any positive experiences with mental health after getting surgery. Over the last few years I’ve developed extreme fatigue after exercise and physical tightness in my chest during exertion. I’ve assumed they were from depression and anxiety after hearing it from my doctors, but for the other 35 years of my life exercise has improved these and not made it worse. I’m wondering if a silver lining to a surgery might be a resolution to my fatigue and anxiety.

Thank you to those sharing your experiences - I’ve enjoyed reading the positive posts. They have helped me a lot and given me hope that it can get better!

My dad is out of the eliquis he was given for his bovine replacement. Insurance basically not helping and he'd have to pay 300+$ a month for one month supply and we can't afford it. He's out of pills. I called his doc for help to get something else but never got a reply. He's now out of blood thinners. I'm worried.

Hi all,

I’m very new to the valve replacement world so bear with me.

I’m a 33f and in 2008, at 15, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma stage 1. I had chemotherapy including doxycycline and 14 treatments of chest radiation. Finished treatment and was good to go. Today, I have not physical problems lasting from treatment. Had a breast cancer scare last fall but everything was fine. Since 2008, I have been getting Echos every two years to check heart function. In 2021, my Echo came back as “mild to moderate aortic valve regurgitation” and I was put in with a cardiologist that specializes with oncology patients. I had no symptoms and my heart function was fine besides this. I have annual visits with my cardio, had other normal tests including like carotid US and CT calcium score, and even got my echos pushed back to two years again (I was having them every year). However, I just had my annual visit and first echo since 2024. The results showed still the mild to moderate regurgitation but according to my dr, it’s now more on the moderate side. Heart function still normal and I’m still asymptomatic. Dr starting talking about open heard surgery for valve replacement if it keeps getting worse

My questions for y’all:

1. Is there a less invasive surgery. The doc talked like at younger ages, they would only do open heart. I was overwhelmed in the appt and didn’t think to ask more.

2. Is there anything I can do to slow down progression? I’m at a good weight, work out regularly, have normal bp that even runs on the lower side, and eat decent. My doc said there is really nothing but I didn’t know if anyone has seen success with anything?

I welcome all feedback!

Hello there , I’m a 40y female , 11 months post op from a mitral valve replacement to a on x valve . After surgery I’ve been on metoprolol and wafarin , & I was recently prescribed a water pill because , I have a lot of swelling in my legs . Anyone else on water pills after surgery ?

Been roughly 24 hours since surgery, feel pretty goood had chest tubes removed today. The valve isn’t as mood as I though it would be

Hi all,

It's been nearly six months since I underwent my sixth OHS, and while I'm largely healed, my upper chest is still quite sore. That was probably inevitable given how many surgeries I've had and the impact it's had on my posture (I'm a sloucher, pulled forward) but I'm wondering whether people have some good stretches to loosen up the area?

I go to the gym daily but have never been great at the whole warm-up and stretching thing, so any tips to help me open up my chest and reduce the soreness would be super appreciated!

Thanks!