In order to treat heart valve disease, heart valve surgery is performed. One or more of the four heart valves are malfunctioning as a result of cardiac valve disease. Heart valves ensure that blood travels through the heart in the right direction. 

The mitral valve, tricuspid valve, pulmonary valve, and aortic valve are the four heart valves. Each valve has flaps that are referred to as cusps for the aortic and pulmonary valves and leaflets for the mitral and tricuspid valves. Each heartbeat should cause these flaps to open and shut once. Blood flow via the heart to the body is disrupted when valves don't open or seal appropriately.

In heart valve surgery, the damaged or unhealthy heart valve or valves are repaired or replaced. Heart valves can be repaired or replaced surgically using a variety of techniques, such as open heart surgery or minimally invasive heart surgery. 

The kind of heart valve surgery required will depend on your age, general health, and the kind and degree of your heart valve condition, among other things.

Why is it done? 

To treat heart valve disease, heart valve surgery is performed. Heart valve issues often fall into one of two categories: 

• tightening of a valve (stenosis) 
• a valve leak that causes reverse blood flow (regurgitation) 

If your heart valve disease is impairing your heart's capacity to pump blood, you may require heart valve surgery. 

Your doctor could advise frequent monitoring of the heart valve disease if you don't have any symptoms or signs of it or if your condition is minor. Symptom management may be aided by medication and lifestyle modifications.

Sometimes, even in the absence of symptoms, physicians will advise heart valve surgery. Doctors may do cardiac surgery for another problem while also replacing or repairing your heart valves. Your doctor and you should talk about whether you are a candidate for heart valve surgery and whether minimally invasive heart surgery is a possibility. 

Your valve can eventually require maintenance or replacement. Even if you are symptom-free in some circumstances, doctors may advise heart valve repair or replacement. The damaged heart valve may be repaired or replaced at the same time as the heart surgery you require for another problem.

Your doctor will talk to you about whether a heart valve replacement or repair is better for your situation. As it retains your heart valve and could preserve heart function, doctors frequently advise heart valve repair when it is feasible. The best course of action, however, is sometimes valve replacement. 

Additionally, doctors may determine whether you are a candidate for minimally invasive cardiac surgery. Your physician will go over the advantages and disadvantages of each procedure. 

Choose a medical facility that has conducted several heart valve procedures if you require heart valve surgery.

Risks 

Risks associated with heart valve surgery include: 

• Bleeding 
• Chest pain 
• Infection 
• Dysfunctional valves impacting newly installed valves 
• Abnormal cardiac beat (arrhythmia) 
• Stroke
• Death 

How you get ready ?

The medical staff will go through your heart valve surgery with you and address any concerns you may have. Talk to your family about how they can support you when you get home after your hospital stay and before you are in for heart valve surgery.

Medicines and food 

Consult your doctor before undergoing heart valve surgery about: 

• When and if you can have surgery while still taking your normal drugs 
• Allergies or adverse drug responses you've experienced 
• When to stop consuming food and liquids the night before surgery

Personal goods and clothing 

Your medical team may advise you to bring the following items to the hospital if you need to have a heart valve replaced: 

• A list of the drugs you take 
• Hearing aids, dentures, or eyeglasses 
• Personal care products such a toothbrush, comb, shaving kit, and more toothbrushes 
• Comfortable, loose clothes 
• A copy of your power of attorney 
• Items that promote relaxation, such as books or portable music players 

Don't wear: during heart valve surgery. 

• Jewelry\sEyeglasses 
• Dentures and contact lenses 
• Nails polished 
• The areas where the incisions will be made may need shaving of your body hair. Your skin may be washed with a specific soap to help stave off infection.

What to Expect ?

Throughout the process 

To put you in a state similar to sleep throughout the surgery, anesthetics will be administered. A heart-lung bypass machine will be attached to you; it will keep your blood pumping during the treatment. 

Standard open-heart surgery, which includes cutting your chest open through your breastbone, can be used to do heart valve surgery. Compared to open heart surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery uses smaller incisions. 

A small incision in the chest, surgery employing long tools introduced via one or more small incisions in the chest (thoracoscopic surgery), or surgery carried out by a surgeon aided by a robot are all examples of minimally invasive heart surgery (robot-assisted heart surgery).

In comparison to open heart surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery may result in a shorter hospital stay, a speedier recovery, and less discomfort. Ideal locations for minimally invasive cardiac surgery include hospitals with medical staffs skilled in carrying out such operations.

Repair of heart valves 

When a heart valve may be saved and repaired, your doctor may frequently advise doing so since it could keep your heart from failing. Surgery to repair heart valves could involve: 

• Repairing valve leaks 
• Reattaching the valve flaps (leaflets or cusps) 
• Removing surplus valve tissue to enable tight closure of the leaflets or cusps 
• Changing the valve's support wires to restore the structural support 
• Separating fusion-prone valve flaps 
• Adjusting or strengthening the ring that surrounds the valve (annulus) 
• With the use of clips, plugs, or other tools, several heart valve replacement operations are performed using a long, thin tube (catheter).

With the use of clips, plugs, or other tools, several heart valve replacement operations are performed using a long, thin tube (catheter). 

A catheter treatment known as balloon valvuloplasty may be used by doctors to fix a valve with a constricted valve opening. A small, flexible tube (catheter) with a balloon on the tip is inserted by a doctor into an artery in your arm or groin and is then guided to the malfunctioning valve. 

When the balloon is inflated, the heart valve's aperture enlarges. After deflating the balloon, medical professionals take out the catheter and balloon.

Replacement of the heart valve 

The heart valve may need to be replaced if it cannot be mended and a catheter-based treatment is not an option. Your doctor removes the heart valve and replaces it with either a mechanical valve or a valve manufactured from cow, pig, or human heart tissue to replace a heart valve (biological tissue valve). 

Biological valves frequently need to be changed at some point since they degrade with time. In order to prevent blood clots if you have a mechanical valve, you will need to take blood-thinning drugs for the rest of your life. You and your doctor will go over the advantages and disadvantages of each kind of valve.

Some heart valves may be replaced using a less invasive catheter surgery. For instance, a catheter operation could be used to install a replacement valve in a heart valve that is no longer functioning effectively.

After the process 

You'll often stay in the critical care unit for a day or longer following your heart valve surgery (ICU). Through an IV, you'll get fluids and medicines. Other tubes remove blood and fluid from the chest as well as urine from the bladder. Oxygen may be administered to you via a mask or nasal prongs. 

After your stay in the ICU is over, you'll probably be transferred to another hospital room for a few days. The length of your hospital stay will depend on the procedure and your health.

Your medical team will keep an eye on your condition and look for any symptoms of infection at the incision sites after heart valve surgery. Your heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure will all be monitored by the team. Additionally, the staff will assist with you to manage any post-operative discomfort you have. 

You'll probably be instructed to perform breathing exercises while you recuperate, walk frequently to gradually raise your activity level, and cough. 

During your recuperation, you'll be given guidelines to adhere to, such as: 

• Keeping an eye out for infection symptoms in your incisions 
• Using prescription drugs 
• Taking good care of incisions 
• Managing your post-surgery pain and other negative effects

Results 

Your doctor will let you know when you may resume normal activities following heart valve surgery. 

You'll have to go to your doctor's follow-up visits on a frequent basis. Several tests may be performed on you to assess and track your condition. 

To keep your heart healthy, your doctor may advise adopting healthy lifestyle adjustments. Changes in lifestyle that promote heart health include: 

• Consuming a balanced diet 
• Regularly exercising 
• Managing stress Refraining from smoking

By Recmed Medical - Cardiovascular Surgeons (Click to see our doctors)