Heart Valve Surgery During heart valve surgery,
one or more heart valves can be repaired or replaced.
Repair means that the valve is fixed to work better.
Replacement means your own diseased valve is removed
and a new valve is put in its place. The decision whether
to repair or replace a valve often can't be made until
after surgery has begun. You and your surgeon can discuss
plans for surgery and any other procedures you may need.
Repairing a Valve
During valve repair, parts of a valve are reshaped or
removed to make the valve function more efficiently.
Certain valve problems can be repaired. For insufficiency,
extra tissue is removed, or parts of the valve are strengthened
to help it close more tightly. This may be done by sewing
a ring around the opening of the valve.
Replacing a Valve
If a valve can't be repaired, it may be replaced with
a prosthetic (substitute) valve. Two kinds of prosthetic
heart valves are available:
Mechanical valves are created
from manmade materials. Lifetime therapy with an anticoagulant
(sometimes called a "blood thinner") is needed
when these types of valves are used. This medication
prevents blood clots from forming on or around the valve.
Biological (tissue) valves
are taken from pig, cow, or human donors. They are treated
in a way in which the body does not reject the valve.
As newer technology develops, tissue valves are being
made which have increased longevity. They have been
shown to last 15 years and beyond.
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