New AHA/ACC Guidelines for 2014

Patients who have undergone valve replacement are not cured but still have serious heart disease. Patients have exchanged native valve disease for prosthetic valve disease and must be followed with the same care as those with native valve disease.

Either a bioprosthetic or mechanical valve is reasonable in patients between 60 y and 70 y of age.

Life Continues

Photo of Jim and Bradley taken by Bob Russell, July 2014.

Set to get my yearly echo in three months. The new AHA/ACC 2014 guidelines for the treatment of valvular disease are interesting. The timing of surgical intervention is totally dependent on the development of symptoms, either naturally or during exercise stress testing.