When one of your heart valves needs to be replaced, you have two choices: a mechanical valve or a bioprosthetic valve, made from the heart valves of a pig or cow. Several key factors must be considered when making such a decision, and a recent study suggests that the age of the patient may be among the most important factors. A study presented at the Society of Thoracic Surgeons annual meeting in February found that younger heart valve patients are more likely to survive 10 years if they have a mechanical valve, as opposed to a bioprosthetic valve.
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