All about heart valve replacement and repair surgery  heart valves heart valve replacement surgery heart valve replacement surgery time heart valve replacement surgery procedure heart valve repair surgery heart valve repair surgery procedure heart valve repair surgery time recovery from heart valve repair/replacement surgery |
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What are the procedures for heart valve repair surgery?
Heart valve repair can usually be done on congenital valve defects (defects you are born with), and it has a good success
record with treating mitral valve defects.
Here are some procedures surgeons may use to repair a valve:
Commissurotomy, which is used for narrowed valves, where the leaflets are thickened and perhaps stuck together. The surgeon opens the valve by cutting the points where the leaflets meet.
Valvuloplasty, which strengthens the leaflets to provide more support and to let the valve close tightly. This support comes from a ring-like device that surgeons attach around the outside of the valve opening.
Reshaping, where the surgeon cuts out a section of a leaflet. Once the leaflet is sewn back together, the valve can close properly.
Decalcification, which removes calcium buildup from the leaflets. Once the calcium is removed, the leaflets can close properly.
Repair of structural support, which replaces or shortens the cords that give the valves support (these cords are called the chordae tendineae and the papillary muscles). When the cords are the right length, the valve can close properly.
Patching, where the surgeon covers holes or tears in the leaflets with a tissue patch.
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More information on heart valve replacement and repair surgery
Why are heart valve surgeries necessary? - Heart valve disease occurs when a valve doesn't work right. A valve may not open all the way, a valve may have problems closing.
What're heart valves? - The heart is a muscular pump divided into two sides. On the right this is the pulmonary valve. On the right, this is called the tricuspid valve.
What is heart valve replacement surgery? - Heart valve replacement refers to procedures aimed at replacing your own heart valve, rather than repairing your own valve.
When is heart valve replacement surgery necessary? - The reasons for a heart valve replacement vary slightly, depending on which of the four heart valves is involved.
How is the heart valve replacement surgery preformed? - The procedure outlined here is a conventional, open-chest procedure for valve replacement surgery.
What's heart valve repair? - Heart valve repair is a surgical procedure used to correct a malfunctioning heart valve. Repair usually involves separating the valve leaflets.
What're the procedures for heart valve repair surgery? - Heart valve repair can usually be done on congenital valve defects and it has a good success record with treating mitral valve defects.
When is heart valve repair surgery necessary? - A heart valve repair can be performed on a valve that is too narrow to allow sufficient blood to flow through the valve opening (stenosis).
What to expect after heart valve surgery? - Every patient recovers at a different rate. Tubes are removed as recovery progresses. The ICU stay is usually a day or two. |
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