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.

How heart valve replacement surgery is performed? | Your guide to heart ...

How heart valve replacement surgery is performed? | Your guide to heart valve replacement surgery

Heart valve disease is a condition where one or multiple valves in the heart do not function properly. In a healthy heart the valves open and close once during each heartbeat which ensures blood flows in the right direction. However, valves can fail to open properly (called stenosis) or close properly (called regurgitation) which can result in blood being stopped at inopportune moments or leaking. The type of heart valve disease you have (aortic, mitral, pulmonary, or tricuspid) depends
on the valve affected. Treatment of the condition may include medication, balloon valvotomy, or heart valve replacement surgery. If your condition is mild enough, the doctor may take a wait and see attitude.

When it comes to heart valve surgery, the surgeon may take one of two approaches. The doctor may repair the valve. This involves tightening the valve by sewing a ring around the opening.
The valve may also be cut, separated, or shortened in order to get it function properly. The other option the surgeon may take is to completely replace the valve with a prosthetic. The prosthetic may be mechanical and made from artificial materials. These types of valves require the patient to take an
anticoagulant for the rest of their life. Biological prosthetics also exist which are transplanted from cows, pigs, or other human donors. However, these valves tend to wear out quicker than mechanical ones.

Heart valve replacement surgery is similar to bypass surgery. The patient is put under general anesthesia and the chest is opened. Since the heart cannot beat during the surgery, the patient is hooked up to a heart-lung machine that ensures oxygen is circulated throughout the
body. The heart is then stopped so that the surgeon can repair or replace the valve. Minimally invasive heart valve surgery can be done as an alternative. This option involves smaller cuts in the chest which result in a faster recovery and less pain.