Heart Valve Repair

Heart valve repair is a surgical procedure that is used to fix defects in heart valves in valvular heart diseases.

Some facts about Heart valve repair:

• An alternative to valve replacement can be provided by heart valve repair as it can treat heart valve disease.
• Heart valve repair can be done when at least one of the four heart valves not working properly.
• Blood flow in the correct direction through your heart by using heart valve.
• The mitral valve, tricuspid valve, pulmonary valve and aortic valve are the four valve, each of which has flaps.
• These flaps are called as leaflets for the mitral and tricuspid valves and cusps for the aortic and pulmonary valves which open and close once during each heartbeat.
• Blood flow through your heart to your body will be disrupted when any of these valve don't open or close properly.
• The affected heart valves will be either repaired or replaced by the surgeon in heart valve surgery.
• Open-heart surgery or minimally invasive heart surgery can be used to repair or replace heart valves.
• Treatment of affected heart valve depends on your age, your health, the condition of the affected heart valve and the severity of your condition.

Types of Heart Valve Repair:

• Basically there are two types of heart valve defects including a narrowing of a valve called as stenosis and a leak in a valve that allows blood to back up called as regurgitation.
• Heart valve surgery is required if you have one of these defects as it can affect the ability of your heart to pump blood.
• The most appropriate treatment for your condition can be determined by your doctor by evaluating your health condition.
• Your doctor might suggest monitoring over time if you don't have signs or symptoms, or your condition is mild. Healthy lifestyle changes and medications might help manage symptoms in this case.
• The affected heart valve can be repaired or replaced at the same time if you need heart surgery for another condition.
• Valvuloplasty and Valvulotomy are two types of heart valve surgery in general.
• The widening of a stenotic valve using a balloon catheter is known as Valvuloplasty.
• Aortic valvuloplasty and Mitral valvuloplasty are two types of Valvuloplasty that can be done to repair the affected valve.
• The repair of a stenotic aortic valve can be done by Aortic valvuloplasty where as the correction of an uncomplicated mitral can be done by Mitral valvuloplasty.
• Valvulotomy is the commissurotomy of cardiac valves.
• Stenosis or regurgitation of the mitral valve can be treated by Mitral valve repair.
• Some aortic valve disorders can be treated by Aortic valve repair as an alternative to aortic valve replacement.
• The technique used for aortic valve repair is more difficult than mitral valve repair.
• Reimplantation-Technique and Remodeling-Technique are two types of surgical techniques of aortic-valve repair.
• Tricuspid regurgitation can be corrected by using Tricuspid valve repair.

Risks of Heart Valve Repair:

Bleeding, heart attack, infection, valve dysfunction affecting replaced valves, irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia), stroke and death are some of the possible risk of heart valve surgery.

Preparation for Heart Valve Repair:

• Inform your doctor about your regular medications and ask them whether you can take them before your surgery.
• Inform about the allergies or reactions you have had to medications to your doctor.
• You should not eat or drink after midnight the night before surgery as the anesthesia that will be given just before the surgery to make you sleep during the operation is safest on an empty stomach.
• Your body hair will be shaved where the incisions will be made.
• A special soap might be used to wash your body to help prevent infection.

Procedure for Heart Valve Repair:

• A local anesthetic will be given to put you in a sleep-like state during the procedure.
• A heart-lung bypass machine will be connected to you to keep blood moving through your body during the procedure.
• Open-heart surgery or minimally invasive heart surgery can be used to perform heart valve surgery.
• Open-heart surgery involves cutting your chest through your breastbone where as minimally invasive heart surgery involves smaller incisions than those used in open-heart surgery.
• Long instruments are inserted through one or more small incisions in the chest in case of Minimally invasive heart surgery which is called as thoracoscopic surgery.
• Heart valve surgery can also be performed through a small incision in the chest, or surgery performed by a surgeon using the assistance of a robot known as robot-assisted heart surgery.
• Shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery and less pain than you would have with open-heart surgery is involved in Minimally invasive heart surgery.
• Heart valve repair is recommended by your doctor when possible, as it preserves your heart valve and may preserve heart function.
• Heart valve repair surgery can be preformed when you have patching holes in a valve or for reconnecting valve flaps.
• Excess valve tissue can be removed by a heart valve repair surgery so that the leaflets or cusps can close tightly.
• Cords that support the valve can be replaced to repair the structural support, valve flaps can be separated that have fused and the the ring around the valve can be tightened or reinforced by performing a heart valve repair surgery.
• A long, thin tube called as catheter and clips, plugs or other devices can also be used in some heart valve repair procedures.
• Balloon valvuloplasty is a method that can be used by doctor to treat a valve with a narrowed opening with a catheter procedure. A catheter with a balloon on the tip will be inserted into an artery in your arm or groin that help guide to the affected valve.
• The opening of the heart valve will be expanded when the balloon is inflated. The he balloon will be deflated and the catheter and balloon will be removed after the procedure.
• The valve might need to be replaced if your heart valve can't be repaired and a catheter based procedure is not feasible.

Recovery from Heart Valve Repair:

• You will generally need to spend a day or more in the intensive care unit (ICU) and several days in a progressive care unit after your heart valve surgery.
• The duration of stay in the ICU and hospital will depend on your condition and surgery.
• Fluids and medications will be given through intravenous (IV) lines.
• Urine from your bladder and fluid and blood from your chest can be drained by other tubes.
• Oxygen can be given through a mask or nasal prongs in your nose.
• Your condition will be monitored and the signs of infection in your incision sites will be watched by your treatment team.
• The pain you have after surgery can be managed by your treatment team.