How long can you live after a heart valve replacement?

Heart valve replacement refers to the replacement of the thin film of the heart. This type of surgery is relatively common in clinical practice. Many people are worried about whether there will be any accidents in the life span after the heart valve replacement. Generally speaking, recovery to normal after surgery will not affect life expectancy, so you need to pay attention to care.

1. The general service life of biological valves is 30 years, and that of mechanical valves is about 70 years. Generally, biological valves are recommended after the age of 65. Consider using mechanical valves. Imported valves are better, and the chance of secondary valve replacement is not high. Discharge from the hospital 9-15 days after surgery. Check the thrombin time regularly. It will almost return to normal after half a year, and it will not affect life expectancy.

2. If there are surgical indications for valvular heart disease, it is better to have the surgery, which is very beneficial to the patient's quality of life. And if there is any impact on life expectancy, the positive impact is greater. Of course, surgery is risky. There are two main types of anticoagulation accidents in valve replacement patients: one is insufficient dosage of anticoagulants causing cerebral embolism, myocardial infarction, limb artery embolism, etc. Second, excessive anticoagulation can cause cerebral hemorrhage, hematuria, hematochezia, subcutaneous hemorrhage in the limbs, etc. To prevent these accidents, you must follow the doctor's advice and check the prothrombin time every 2 to 4 weeks within six months after discharge (every 1 to 3 months after six months), and always keep the INR (international normalized ratio of prothrombin time) at 2.5 to 3.5. If symptoms such as syncope, weakness on one side of the limbs, or subcutaneous bleeding occur during medication, the INR should be checked in time and the dosage of the anticoagulant should be adjusted.

3. Even after successful valve replacement surgery, the mortality rate is still high. Many patients do not die from heart problems but from cerebral embolism or cerebral hemorrhage. This is mainly because these patients are not managed properly, and their oral anticoagulants are not properly monitored, followed up, and used correctly and rationally, resulting in insufficient or excessive anticoagulants. This can neither effectively prevent the occurrence of thromboembolism nor detect excessive anticoagulation in time, leading to thromboembolism or severe bleeding.