How heart valve replacement surgery is performed?

Heart Valve Surgery

There are four major valves in the human heart: the aortic, mitral, tricuspid, and pulmonary. If any of  these valves are diseased or damaged, they may need to be replaced. Failure to do so could lead to premature death, since their job is a vital one. All the blood that enters and exits the heart must flow through valves. Not only do they connect and pump blood into major arteries, but they also close and prevent it from flowing backward.

When it is needed

When a valve does not open fully, the blood flow can be severely limited. This condition is called stenosis and it can be quite serious. On the other hand, when a valve does not close all the

way, blood will leak back into the heart. Doctors refer to this as regurgitation. Both defects must be corrected as soon as possible. Either can cause serious cardiac symptoms, such as shortness of breath, chest pain (angina), and even heart failure.

How it is diagnosed

More often than not, a doctor can determine if a valve is damaged or diseased with a battery of tests. Like any other organ, heart valves can be damaged or destroyed by serious infection, also known as endocarditis. What are your options?

Surgery

Unfortunately, prescription medications cannot repair damaged heart valves or alleviate the symptoms associated with them. A doctor must perform either open or minimally invasive surgery. Open surgery is when a doctor makes a large incision in your breastbone in order to reach the heart. Minimally invasive valve surgery is completed through a much smaller incision and involves different medical equipment and techniques.