What is my valve replacement prognosis? my father is 70 years old and recently was told he needs to have a valve replaced in his heart. he's very overweight, inactive and drinks heavily. i'm very worried about his odds of survival. the doctor keeps tel

I : I cannot tell you a good estimate for his odds of survival without knowing more about the specific case. I can tell you that he is at higher risk than most because of the risk factors you describe. On the other hand, he may have a valve condition that is potentially lethal without surgery, and surgical outcomes have become quite good in the modern era even with high risk patients. There are risk calculators available to cardiac surgeons and cardiologists to help estimate surgical risk with cardiovascular surgery. You should ask your father's doctor to calculate this risk, so that you and your father can decide whether the risk if acceptable to you. It is also important that you understand the risk of not operating (i.e. "doing nothing").

You or father: Unclear to me if you're asking if you will need a valve replacement too or if your father will survive his replacement. It's impossible to answer either with the limited facts. One would need to know the cause of your father's valve failure to judge your risk and his overall health to judge his risk.