pm and merchanical mitral valve

hi everyone just woundering if any one can help with this ,last night as usual i hear my husbands merchanical mitral valve clicking but it seemed strange last night ,instead of a steady clicking ,it was clicking then missing then doubling i was just woundering if any one on here has the same and what does it mean he also has a pm for af any advice just to put mind at rest thank you all

3 Comments

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by pete - 2009-07-08 03:07:51

Pacemakers dont cure AF but help reduce the effects. The important thing is to get the mechanical valve checked as they usually last only 10 to 14 years after which they can fail and this can be really life threatening. You need to get a check up soon. Cheers Peter

Mechanical Valve & Pacemaker

by SMITTY - 2009-07-08 07:07:41

Hello Bullesye,

Let me start by telling you something I'm sure you already know but it lets me refresh the memory of my old and tired brain, so bear with me.

The mitral valve lies between the left atrial and left ventricle. It is nothing more than a check valve in that it allows blood flow in one then closes when that flow tries to reverse itself. The blood flow in you heart starts when the atrial contracts and the blood goes from the atrial through the mitral valve into the ventricle. The ventricle then contracts and sends this blood on to the far reaches of our body. When the ventricle contracts the valve closes to prevent the blood from back flowing into the atrial. Your husband is unlike us that must depend on the valve that mother nature gave us and we can't hear the opening and closing of the valve. Now that I've told you how to build the clock, so to speak, I'll try to tell you why you are hearing.

The missing click are what many of us know as skip beats, For reason I don't fully understand the heart's natural pacemaker does not send the necessary electrical impulse to make the atrial contract, which means the valve is not opening. The reason the pacemaker does not pitch in and send an impulse is that the hearts's natural pacemaker will send a very weak impulse, one that is not strong enough to make the heart beat, but is strong enough for the pacemaker to hear and think it does not need to send an impulse. In other words these weak signals from the heart;' natural pacemaker fake out our manmade pacemaker.

The doubling you hear is the result of the heart's natural pacemaker getting, shall we say out of time and when this happens a premature atrial beats occurs. This is a beat that is to weak to cause and adequate blood flow but strong enough to cause a small amount of blood to pumped into the ventricle. Being out of time the heart will follow with a another of the premature beats and we hear or feel what you are calling a doubling. Now to go one step further this doubling can also be a premature ventricle contraction, and these are called PVC or a PAC, premature atrial contraction which most of cannot not distinguish from one another.

I can say I know exactly what you are talking about on the skips and doubling as I go through these many times each day. According to my doctor Idon't have to be concerned about these as they are not dangerous unless they start coming in extended runs to the point I get short of breath or dizzy.

Now, as Pete said, your husband, if for no other reason than peace of mind, probably needs to see his doctor just to be sure his skips or doubling are skip beats or PAC or PVC and not due to a malfunction of the valve.

I wish him the best,

Smitty

pm and mechanical valves

by Jaybee - 2009-07-09 03:07:24

I do have mechanical mitral and aortic valves for 16 years(July 14,will be 16th anniversary day of surgery) and cardiologists say it lasts life time.I check Echo Cardiogram every year to know the conditions of valves and they are in good condition as per my cardio.

As Pete suggests your husband should check regularly valve condition, which I am sure he is already doing.

I also have PVC at times my doctor advises to ignore that, since it is harmless and even healthy persons have this.

Let him have peace of mind as advised by Smitty.

Jabee

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