r/valvereplacement

Hi. I am a 62m with bicuspid valve and severe AS. Some time ago I was trying to figure out watchful waiting then SAVR or TAVR. Here's my post about that

https://www.reddit.com/r/valvereplacement/s/otGWqeTlPP

However my latest echocardiogram pushed me from Severe to Very Severe. My knee surgery was cancelled and I am being lined up for SAVR via mini sternotomy at UCSF.

I am though looking into a bunch of alternatives including a clinical trial at Cedars Sinai looking at TAVRs in younger bicuspid patients, and a new minally invasive trans cervical robot approach at Cleveland Clinic.

What I have NOT been offered is RAMT (right anterior mini-thoracotomy) which is the version going in via the ribs. However there is a surgeon at UCSF who specializes in this (I was allocated my current surgeon by my cardiologist at UCSF).

I'm obviously going to investigate that but I have also heard that the recovery is not great either. Incidentally I broke a rib 4 years ago and it took about a year to stop hurting! Not sure how much the RAMT compares! So can anyone who's had that please let me know what it was like? Thanks

I’m a 27m male and I’ve been dating my girlfriend since February. She’s genuinely a good person, treats me well, gives me peace of mind, and has always taken our relationship seriously. This isn’t about her being a bad partner.

The difficult part is that she has a tissue heart valve replacement and is HIV positive. Her doctor has also told her that pregnancy would be high risk, and she’s even considering surgery that would mean she won’t be able to have children in the future.

Over the past several months I’ve realized that I’m constantly worried about her health. Sometimes I feel more like a caregiver than a partner. I genuinely care about her, but I don’t know if I’m emotionally prepared for the long-term responsibility and uncertainty that could come with her medical conditions.

At the same time, I’m trying to build a career in trading. My goal over the next few years is to become consistently profitable, build financial freedom, and possibly relocate to another country. I feel like this stage of my life requires a level of focus and flexibility that I’m struggling to balance with this relationship.

I’ve also realized that I don’t think we’re compatible in some other areas, including life priorities and long-term goals.

I don’t want to stay with her out of guilt or pity because she deserves someone who chooses her wholeheartedly. I care about her deeply, which is why this decision is so painful.

For people who have been in a similar situation:

• How did you end the relationship compassionately?
• Is there anything you wish you had said differently?
• If you’ve dated someone with serious health conditions, how did you separate love from recognizing that you weren’t the right long-term partner? She did her surgery last year August I’m looking for honest reply, not judgment. I want to do this in the kindest and most respectful way possible.

I’m getting OHS on July 15, I’m wondering what type of food should I be preparing to make things easier when I get home? Any help/recommendations would be appreciated.

I already eat heart healthy: red meat less than twice a month, saturated fats less than 20 g per day, less than 2,000 mg of sodium per day, very little if any processed foods, usually meal plan all my meals for the week.

Just an FYI. if you are taking Aspirin daily as part of your post valve replacement, Aspirin can have an impact on how you regulate body heat making you more succeptible to heat stroke.

Stay Hydrated, Stay Cool, and be aware of potential risks from Aspirin and other meds that you may be unaware of. Even if you could stand the heat very well before surgery, now that you are on meds do your research, ask your doctors, and take precautions as your body will be very different than it was before.

Im a young mom and I just found out last week my 5 year old son has Bicuspid aortic valve disease. We found out due to a heart murmur that have never been caught before last month. The doctor said his aortic was enlarged and that they would just keep an eye on it and then after leaving the doctors office they called me again saying they had another docotr look at it and only one of his valves is working properly so they want us to come back in 3 months instead of 6. We've noticed recently when hes running and playing with his siblings it feels like his heart is going to pound out of his chest. We were also told that me and his siblings will also need to get echos due to the disease being hereditary, and im almost certain my dad had the same issue so it makes sense. But honestly im just terrified I have no idea what this means for his future or how I can help him understand. I myself am still trying to wrap my brain around it. Any more information you could give me would be fantastic or anything I need to change in his daily routine.

Hey guys!
I had bloods done 2 months before and 4 months after.

After my post blood test, it came back that I have very low iron (ferritin).
Pre surgery 34 - post 14.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Background;
Ross procedure Jan 2026
34 yo male
Long time vegetarian

Hola a todos, me harán una operación de ross (cambio de válvula) el lunes a las 8 am. Me hospitalizo el domingo y la vd no sé qué esperar de la recuperación y operación. He leído acá y la vd he leído de todo, desde gente que lo pasa re mal y otros que lo pasan normal.
Mi plan B es la mecánica en caso de que algo falle. Tengo 24 años y estoy nervioso. Me pueden dar sus experiencias con esta operación y como fue?
Me dijieron que la op duraría 6 horas aprox.
Después de eso tendré conocimiento o estaré full ido?

Hey yall, is this normal bruising after a left heart cath done on Monday 6/29? I’m trying not to be paranoid, but I am. All of this has got my brain going in 1,000 directions. Had it on Monday, referral made Monday afternoon and the CT surgeon called Tuesday. They were trying to get me in Wednesday for my consult, but I’m going next Tuesday to discuss the OHS plan.

I was trying to upload a pic, but can’t 😞

Hi, my mom who is 71, will be getting ohs for a mitral valve replacement with bovine tissue on July 7th. We thought up until yesterday she was getting the robotic surgery, but her tests showed her veins in groin area are too small and she has some lung scar tissue from pneumonia. It was a bit of a shock to us about ohs. She’s diabetic, a smoker, 2 time cancer survivor, and prone to pneumonia. I’m just super anxious about it all and looking for help from those that have been through it. Questions: -Has anyone had titanium plates instead of wires for their sternum? -What help from your caregivers was most helpful and what types of things were good to have on hand for recovery? -How was your eating/appetite for the first week or so? -For older adults, did you or your caregivers notice cognitive changes post surgery? -Pain level for first week or two? -Sleeping comfortably suggestions? -Ideas for extremely impatient patients when it comes to getting out of the hospital?

Any other ideas, thoughts or support for this nervous daughter is much appreciated!! I just want to be there for her as best I can. It’s been a really hard year for us and I know I gotta take good care of myself, too. Thanks 😊

Short story : 23M diagnosed with severe aortic regurgitation during a unplanned health checkup a year back , had multiple options with various docs and read multiple papers/posts on them.

As I've managed to cross a ever without surgery after being diagnosed with it, now am in the time to get surgery done, am confused either to go with Ross or mechanical valve

Ive decided to go with mechanical valve as that would outlive me, if am on proper meds and monitoring with precautions.

But the doctor am consulting with advised me to go with ross as am a suitable candidate for it and as per his words, mechanical valve will not be a once at all valve people will definitely need reintervention, which is contradictory to what I read over the internet and i feel most the Indian docs are having similar opinions , why is it so??? And am also fine to go with ross as he's an well expertise with ross procedure too but am hesitant on risking both my valves at some point rather then one

Any thoughts or experiences would really be helpful :)

My partner had BAV valve replacement approximately 3 weeks ago and most of his incision is healing very well. The scabs for his drains and the lower portion of his incision have dropped away but there’s a very thick (wide and deep) scab mass at the top which is taking longer to resolve and is not dry—still scabbing & leaking serum a bit.

This area seems prone to irritation from clothing which is why we think it’s taking longer but we didn’t receive any real post-op instructions regarding care except “no potions, lotions or creams”. Nothing about washing or putting gauze on it to prevent rubbing from clothing etc.

So just wondering (understanding everyone is different) how long your scabs stayed in place and is the top of the incision an issue for most? What kind of care instructions did you receive?

Thanks!

Update: Thanks for the responses! Spoke with an urgent care nurse who said it looked like it was healing well & gave some additional suggestions for self-care. He’s going back to the GP to have it looked at in person next week & ensure all staples are out.

I really appreciate how supportive this community is.

Writing for my DH who doesn’t Reddit. 73 yo male with severe aortic stenosis. After discovery of a murmur, we went to the Mayo Clinic which isn’t far from us. Had all the tests - echo, CT, X-ray, stress test, lots of blood work. His aortic valve is calcified just due to age. He has low thyroid corrected with medication and higher cholesterol that has been corrected with medication for years and years. He is in pretty good shape, or so the cardiologists says. We saw doctors in the valvular clinic, IR cardiology, and cardiovascular surgery. All are confident he is a good candidate for a TAVR instead of OHS. Most of the posts here seem to be from younger patients with OHS, so I am interested in hearing what type of recovery older patients have with TAVR. I know what the patient education said, but real world experiences would be helpful. Can folks respond with their personal stories of TAVR?

My appointment with my cardiologist has been pushed back twice now. First June, Now today, and wanted to reschedule for October.

I’m 6 months out from my surgery and changed medications back in June.

I’m just wondering if it is a common thing for cardiologist to keep pushing back an appointment or do I need to look elsewhere? Thanks

June 25th marked on year since my surgery. I had the Bentall procedure and am ticking along with my ONX valve. Though I am forever changed, I am eternally grateful for my surgeon and his team.

As I approached the one year mark, I thought back to those first weeks after surgery and how difficult it was. But now to look back at all that I have done in the past year, I am so proud of myself.

Other than my ticking, I did develop extreme medical anxiety/PTSD and a strange new fear of bridges and heights. I’ve been terrified to fly (that’s new too) but I am going to face my fear in September and fly to see Hayley Williams in concert!

My message to anyone who has a bicuspid valve is to keep up with your annual check ups! You know your body best so if you feel something is off, trust your heart!

Neil Young - Heart of Gold

-Tick Tick Tick ❤️

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I had supravalvular aortic stenosis. I had a mechanical valve/AVR surgery where the genetic defect was also addressed. I am about a month post-op and everything has been going as smoothly as I could hope for.

I still have pain around the area of my chest that was operated on. It's less of an incision pain and more of a deeper musculoskeletal pain if that makes sense. I've been having a little more difficulty motivating myself to get off the couch lately, maybe partially due to the PNW rainy weather.

I am starting cardiac rehab today. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions to get the most out of the rehab program? I am usually a moderately active person, climb ladders and do a lot of stairs at work, go hiking, kayaking, some light sports, etc.

Mostly just posting to report my progress and say everything's been going well.

29M diagnosed with bicuspid aortic valve when I was 12. At my checkup last year the echo showed just borderline mild aortic regurgitation and was told I probably wouldn’t need surgery anytime soon if ever. I had a follow up this year with a different cardiologist and the echo showed borderline moderate regurgitation. They did a TEE to confirm it and a CTA that showed an ascending aortic aneurysm of 4.5 cm (that was the first imaginative ever had on it so it could have been like that for some time). I’m curious if anyone has had similar findings and how long was it before you had surgery. It’s honestly been stressing me out. Not because of the surgery necessarily but because I love backpacking and lifting weights (I’ve always been pretty active) and I don’t want to push myself so hard that I end up needing surgery sooner but I also do want to waste years babying myself (if that makes sense). Thank you in advanced

Afternoon, everyone.

I posted about six (6) months ago asking for input on a Mechanical vs. Ross Procedure for replacement of a congenital bicuspid aortic valve after being notified by my cardiologist a couple months before that it was finally time to take action. I really appreciate all the responses and have continued lurking around for additional tidbits of information, while offering up some of my own here and there. That thread is HERE.

Aaaand, after two CT scans and an angiogram, it's finally my time! I got the call last week and will be going in for surgery on July 20. I ultimately decided to go with the Ross Procedure largely due to the greater cumulative risk of clots/bleeds etc. with the mechanical valve as the years wear on. Both my parents have had multiple strokes and anything I can do to reduce the chance of that happening to me is a no-brainer. That I won't need to be monitor my INR is a bonus.

Like so many in this sub who are waiting for surgery, it's pretty nerve-wracking as you count down the days, ponder the 'what-ifs, and hurriedly scramble to prep your home and life for recovery. I actually find myself looking forward to it, falling asleep for 5-6 hours and waking up on the downhill slope of only having to worry about healing and getting stronger.

With that in mind, I figured I'd create a thread to say thanks, as well as answer any questions from folks who might be earlier in the process. Feel free comment or ping me privately. I may add edits to this as we draw closer to do what I can in providing the view a week out, a day out, days after etc.

Now I'm rambling, so I'll leave it there. :)

Hey,

34m, 7 months post op. I used to train fitness, biking, running and contact sports before the surgery.

Now I feel better, even got more weight than anticipated and the doctor told me to get lean.

I started again fitness with the support of specialist but it is really hard for me to regenerate.

I used to take amino acids before but now most of them are not recommended. People with more experience did you take something to help with your fitness and regeneration rate?

I chose tissue valve due to several reasons. I am fully aware a replacement will be needed in my future. I am really just curious of usual timeline for people returning to work, if everything goes great. I am a Chemist in a lab. I soley work indoors and do not do heavy lifting. Would an expectation of 6 weeks be too soon?