Heart valve surgery is performed for replacing or repairing a valve in the heart. The valve that is not working properly due to valvular heart disease (heart valve disease) is repaired or replaced. This surgery is also known as open-heart surgery and is a major operation that may last around two hours or even longer. Its recovery usually takes a few weeks.
Heart valve surgery offers two options:
Valve Repair Surgery:
Valve Replacement Surgery:
Prior to surgery, various tests are conducted to identify the location, type, and extent of valve disease, aiding in the selection of the most suitable procedure.
Additional considerations include:
Cardiac surgeons may integrate valve surgery with other heart procedures, such as those involving multiple valves or combining valve surgery with:
Heart valve surgery has the potential to alleviate symptoms, enhance life expectancy, and reduce the risk of mortality.
When comparing heart valve repair to valve replacement, the potential advantages are as follows:
Both valve repair and valve replacement, which are the most frequently performed minimally invasive procedures, offer several benefits:
Every surgery carries inherent risks, and heart valve surgery is no exception. Potential risks associated with heart valve surgery include:
Risk factors influencing these potential complications include:
Before undergoing surgery, your cardiologist and surgeon will thoroughly discuss these risks with you. It is essential to be aware of the potential complications and make informed decisions regarding the procedure.
If you have undergone valve repair or replacement, there may be an increased risk of developing infective endocarditis. Although this risk is present in both repaired and faulty valves, your healthcare provider might prescribe antibiotics in certain situations, such as after dental work, to prevent endocarditis. Taking good care of your teeth can also contribute to reducing the risk of endocarditis.
In a healthy heart condition, valves are responsible for controlling the blood flow and moving it in a single direction via the body and heart. If a valve does not work appropriately, blood flow is clogged within the blood vessels that are responsible for carrying oxygen.
When your value has a minor problem, doctors may recommend some medications to treat the symptoms. If the condition of a patient is more severe, then valve repair or replacement is done via heart valve surgery to prevent further damage to the heart valve.
Heart valve repair in Hyderabad: The following are the various procedures used to repair heart valves depending on the patient's condition:
Heart valve replacement
When a heart valve is damaged, it requires surgery to replace it with a biological or mechanical valve. Age remains a deciding factor to opt for the type of valves. For older people, biological valves are preferred. Our doctors take this decision with your consent after discussing all the circumstances with you.
Mechanical valves
The prime advantage of a mechanical valve is its durability, as it lasts longer.
Heart tissue is sewn to the value using a fabric ring.
Mechanical valves can result in blood clotting that may lead to stroke or heart attack. For preventing these clots, people opting for mechanical valves are recommended anticoagulants (blood-thinning medicines) for a lifetime.
Childbearing women or people with a bleeding history may have big implications, so our doctors examine all the factors in advance. The people who are suggested blood thinners may also need routine blood-testing for measuring blood clotting tendency.
Biological valve replacement is also known as bioprosthetic or tissue valves that are made of animals or human donors.
Animal source valves, especially pigs or cows, are considered the same as the human heart. These are adjusted well, and these are minimal or not likely to build blood clots as compared to mechanical valves.
Homograft or allograft are those human heart valves that are used from a donated heart and these are considered to be well-tolerated. These last longer as compared to animal valves. However, the use of a human valve is not so common.
Autografts are also valves that are taken from the own tissue of a human. A well-working pulmonary valve is used for replacing a damaged aortic valve. Further, replacement of the pulmonary valve is done with a donated valve.
Patients opting for biological valves are recommended for blood thinners for a short duration. For older patients, these are considered durable for the aortic position.
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is also known as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). This is a minimally invasive surgical valve replacement process that is performed for treating symptomatic aortic valve stenosis. It is different from conventional valve replacement surgery.
A catheter is inserted by our surgeons with a collapsible and new aortic valve via small incisions in the chest or groin.
With the use of chest x-rays and ultrasound, the catheter is used for correcting heart position, and a fresh valve is expanded and implanted.
Once the fresh valve is placed perfectly, it quickly starts controlling blood circulation.
People opting for TAVI get the faster recovery and short stays at hospitals. It is recommended for those who have complications from open-heart surgery.
At CARE Hospitals, patients are privy to state-of-the-art infrastructure and skilled doctors who guide the patients not only through the Heart Valve Replacement in Hyderabad but also regarding lifestyle changes, exercise regime, and food habits, improving the quality of their life.
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