Talk:Artificial heart valve

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From the article: "The most used heart valves in the US and EU are those utilizing tissue leaflets. Mechanical valves are more commonly used in Asia and Latin America.

Are you sure about this? I've heard the exact opposite, that in the US, mechanical valves are most common in US, while porcine valves are used mainly elsewhere.--198.37.18.118 07:38, 20 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] article needs more details

The article seems a little heavy on mechanical and a little light on tissue, especially when considering actual usage ratios and trends.

The article also needs to go into detail on: -percutaneous technologies -homografts

Any takers?

[edit] Tungsten

I have had someone from a company who makes these say there is Tungsten in them, not Titanium. This is because Tungsten is easier to see via x-rays and it is not toxic.

[edit] take your blood thinners

i was young(38), have a heart attack. they took me to the hospital. i was told i had a leaky heart vave and needed surgery. two days later i had surgery, that was 10 years ago before they had the less invassive surgery. this was the most painful thing i ever did. the first time i was able to go to the bathroom myself. i was sitting there. i kept hearing a tick. i actually thought it was a drip in the sink. after checking the sink the sound continued. i asked the doctor what that tick was. he said because of my age they put in a titanium valve(a st jude valve) they said a pigs valve would only last about 8 years but this will last a lifetime. . after many months of pain. they gave me a heart shaped pillow in the hospital to hold against your chest when coughing or sneezing. it didn't help. i was extremely athletic. within about 5-6 months i was completely recovered from the . felt great was playing sports, yardwork, everything. thought i was invincible so stopped taking my coumadin because it gave me E. D. and sex was my reason for living. after a year i suffered a hemoratic stroke because of my failure to consistantly take thinners. paralyzed my left side of mt body. spent over a year in a rehab hospital learinig to walk again. spent a year in a wheelchsir and a year on a walker before ending up as i am today with a cane...............................so my advice...we are not invincable take your thinners now they have viagra. i truely miss not walking plus still have the tick. i tell the kids who can hear it quite well that i swallowed a watch —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.62.97.13 (talk) 23:19, 5 May 2008 (UTC)