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MisPandora -> RE: Bovine Aorta? (8/2/2007 6:35:28 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: subedana
My sister was just told she had this. I tried to google it and got no where. So does anyone know what this is? I know what the two words seperated are but that doesn't help.
Your sister had heart surgery????? I suspect that she's referring to the type of valve replacement she had (aortic valve) and that it is a bovine (cow) pericardial graft.
If this is the case, a surgeon will generally use a porcine valve, a bovine valve or a cadaveric donor (human) valve in children and women of childbearing years. The option of a mechanical valve is deferred for them because it requires the patient to forever take blood thinners. Biological valves are the way to go. I'm a little surprised though, as the standard of care as of late in cardiac valve replacement is a Ross Procedure. That's where the c-t surgeon will take the patient's pulmonary valve and put it in the aortic position, and then replace the pulmonary valve with a graft. The Ross Procedure is superior because it uses an autograft or a stentless porcine valve that can support itself -- this is for young patients or athletic older patients who are still very active.
If this is actually what's gone on (or is about to go on) with her, here's some more information for you:
http://www.umm.edu/heart/aortic_valve_replace.html
http://www.clevelandclinic.org/heartcenter/pub/guide/disease/valve/valvetreatment.htm#valve_replacement
http://www.rjmatthewsmd.com/Definitions/valves.htm
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