Heart Valve Replacement Options
Tissue (Bio Prosthetic) vs. Mechanical
Sometimes a natural heart valve that is not working properly needs to be surgically replaced
with a prosthetic valve. A prosthetic valve can be either mechanical or bio prosthetic (tissue).
It is designed to mimic the natural valve's normal opening and closing motions.
There are two types of valves available for replacement, metal (mechanical) or tissue (bio
prosthetic) valve.
Mechanical
Metal (mechanical) valves are made of
medical grade metals like Pyrolite
carbon, a metallic substance that is very
hard and durable. Due to its
composition, the patient is required to
take long term anticoagulation with
Coumadin.
Pros:
Very durable. Should last the
natural lifespan of the patient and likely obviate the need for a replacement in the future
barring any unforeseen mechanical failures.
Cons:
Needs Coumadin anticoagulation.
o Coumadin has a 1% risk per year of major bleeding event (most problematic is
brain bleed).
o Coumadin levels in the blood vary greatly day to day. As a consequence there will
be a need for relatively frequent blood testing for the duration of Coumadin
therapy.
o There are foods that interfere with the action of Coumadin, namely leafy green
vegetables. If Coumadin levels fall too low, the valve can clot leading to major
complications, even death.
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