At 51yo I did the mechanical because I didn't want to have to come back and have it replaced. Little did I know my Tricuspid valve was going to give me trouble, my surgeon performed his first non evasive heart surgery on me. He did a good job just my valve wasn't done, when he performed the surgery with me on my Tricuspid valve, he said it looked like it was peeling like a banana! So he sewed a titanium ring around it. But sad to say it is starting to leak. Oh my first surgery was open heart and that was my mitral valve. I had a titanium valve put in with knowing I would be on Coumadin the rest of my life. I am now almost 65years old. I just have to have my Coumadin level checked once a month. I go in they prick my finger put a little blood on the strip in the machine. If it's over 5 I have to have blood drawn to make sure. It's supposed to be between 2.5 and 3.5. I always know when it's to high because my ear bleeds. I can't feel the titanium valve nor do I hear it. I hope this helps you.

I had my tricuspid valve replaced twice, both times I had tissue valves. It took longer to recover with the open heart surgery than the second time via a catheter. I hope things are going well for you.