New Valve in the Family

Ten years ago, 46-year-old Lassi Valve's friends and relatives gathered at Meilahti Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, to welcome the "newest valve" in the family. Though it wasn't a baby, it did represent new life. On the verge of heart failure, Valve had just had his ailing native aortic valve replaced with a St. Jude Medical mechanical valve.

Two years earlier, Valve's physician had noticed a heart murmur during a routine medical check-up. Valve had never experienced symptoms of heart trouble, and no underlying disease was found. His doctor followed him closely until, in April 1994, cardiac catheterization showed that his aortic valve has almost totally failed and his heart had enlarged by 30%. Within the month, Valve had undergone successful surgery to receive a St. Jude Medical® Mechanical Heart Valve.

Valve's loved ones were a constant presence during his recovery at the hospital. "Three days after my surgery, I had already spent a lot of time in the hospital lobby laughing," Valve said. "My mother, brother, and friends helped keep my spirits high, and fortunately, I didn't suffer any pain. Ten days later, I was able to return home."

Back in the Helsinki island suburb where he lived at the time of his operation, Valve began taking daily walks, gradually increasing the distance he traveled. On his first day home, he walked 200 yards. In a matter of weeks, he was logging eight daily miles along forest paths on the island. When Valve returned to his job at the Finnish civil aviation administration, he made the commute on his bicycle—15 miles or 24 kilometers one way. He continues to pedal to and from work today.

Blood pressure medications and warfarin, along with monthly blood tests, help ensure that Valve stays healthy. He's been free of medical problems for more than 10 years, and is pleasantly surprised by how little his follow-up care has affected his life.

"I would like to give advice to anyone who needs a heart valve replacement," Valve said. "Don't hesitate to choose a mechanical valve. I was concerned at first that having to be on anticoagulants would really limit my lifestyle. But the blood tests really aren't a problem, and I'm at least as active now as I was before the surgery—probably more so, actually."

Since his surgery, Valve met his life partner, with whom he's been with for six years. They share a passion for airplanes—his partner is an aircraft photographer—and for the places planes can take you. Together they've traveled all over the world, most memorably to gaze at the cobalt Bay of Naples from the cliffs of Sorrento, Italy and to sample the vibrant, tapas-filled nightlife of Madrid, Spain.

To see photos from Valve's travels, select a thumbnail image below or view slideshow to view a larger version of each image.

Valve has used the years after his surgery not just to explore the world, but also to help improve the lives of its citizens. He works actively with Amnesty International to end human rights abuses and discrimination, and he edits a Finnish human rights bulletin board on the Internet.

Although the surname Valve has no meaning in the Finnish language, Lassi Valve believes in the truth of the Latin phrase "Nomen est omen"—the name is an omen. In his case, the name was a sign not of trouble to come, but of fortune.

"I didn't get depressed or think about dying after my valve problem was diagnosed," Valve said. "My doctor helped me realize right away that a valve replacement would make it possible to live. But I have to admit, I never imagined I would be able to live so well. I feel like a very lucky man."