jaybird, do I have it correctly that you had a coronary bypass due to blocked artery, or were you on bypass for lungs and blood during open-heart surgery? I'm not clear on that. We're talking about being put on a heart and lung machine while they stop your heart so that they can do their work. When you're all set, sewn up, they paddle you and take you off of the machine, I believe over a minute or three...not sure. So, while they have your heart opened up, and your chest, you are on a 'bypass' machine.

It depends on your unique heart and tests as to what you need.
Sometimes they don't know exactly what you need until they get in there. Reason why so important you trust heart/vascular team and they know what you prefer if they can't do what they thought. I had my mitral valve replaced 35 years ago, with a st Jude's valve. My surgeon, Dr Rudy, thought he could repair my valve, after 3 attempts, it still leaked. He knew what i would want if that did not work because we had talked. Coumadin for life for me but at 27 and being very active it was the best choice. I ended up being pregnant 3 years later and by God' grace and many helpful health practitioners delivered a daughter, who has 3 children. I am now 62.

If you checked out the links that gloaming included above, I think it says something about how not all surgeons are comfortable doing a repair and just go for replacement. So check on the experience of your surgeon. The surgeon that did my repair is the most experienced in the region - I live in southern Oregon. ..and I was happy that he had that experience.

All the best to you!