I hope that your grandmother will be in a good health soon as possible. Most older patients survive with their pacemaker after the surgery. My grandmother had a pacemaker for about 10 years.
Does your father / uncle takes coumadin pill everyday? This medicine makes their blood thinner. You mean that your father has a plastic aorta valve? If yes, he takes coumadin daily, and it requires him to take a blood test every month or two months for rest of his life.
Coumadin is very risk of bleeds if cut profoundly. It is difficult to control coumadin in the right balance like not too much coumadin or too little especially weather condition like hot day or cold days that makes the blood level changes once a while.
FDA does not allow to sell Exanta in the U.S. from Europe. This medicine is alternative to coumadin that has no side effect and a blood test every 6 months to one year which is not too bad. But, I am not sure if the Europe still uses this Exanta for the research on patients. I heard it a few years ago, and was told that the Exanta is a little expensive than coumadin. For example, 10 dollars for one coumadin pill (probably without insurance?). I guess that Exanta cost around 15 dollars per pill.
It's because drug stores want extra profit.
I hope that everything is good with you.
