Wellness Blog

Mechanical Valves are artificial valves made of durable materials like titanium and carbon, designed to replace a damaged or diseased natural heart valve. Mechanical valves are known for their durability and are designed to last a lifetime.

Mechanical valves can provide a surface where blood clots can form easily. To prevent these clots from causing potentially dangerous complications like stroke or heart attack, patients with mechanical valves need to take blood-thinning medications, such as warfarin, for life. When taking warfarin, it's essential to monitor your INR (International Normalized Ratio) which measures how quickly your blood clots to ensure that your blood is thin enough to prevent clots but not too thin, which could lead to excessive bleeding

Patients with mechanical valves may need to limit intense physical activity. Maintain a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise, a balanced diet, and avoid smoking as advised by the doctor.

TISSUE VALVES

Also known as biological valves, are of the following types

1.  Porcine valve: Made from pig heart valves.
2. Bovine valve: Made from cow heart-sac tissue.
3. Allograft / Homograft: Human tissue valves from donor hearts.

Unlike mechanical valves, tissue valves typically do not require lifelong blood thinners (e.g., warfarin) and are often preferred for older patients or those at high risk of bleeding complications from anticoagulation.

The disadvantages of Tissue Valves are, they are generally less durable than mechanical valves and may require replacement after 10-20 years. Hence younger Patients with tissue valve replacements may need another valve replacement later in life.

Tissue valves can calcify over time, leading to valve dysfunction.