Valve Replacement & Repair

Heart valve repair is a surgical or minimally invasive procedure that corrects a heart valve that is not functioning properly. When repair is not an option, the damaged heart valve is replaced through surgical procedures.

Signs & Symptoms of Valve Replacement & Repair

Shortness of breath
Dizziness
Pressure in the chest
Heart palpitations
Swelling in the ankles, feet, or belly
Sudden weight gain

Treatment of Valve Replacement & Repair

Valve replacement is commonly used to treat aortic valves or severely damaged mitral valves. There are two kinds of valves that are used:

Mechanical Valves: These are made from durable materials such as metals, ceramics, and plastics.
Biological Valves: These are made from the following sources –
- Autograft: Also called Ross or Switch procedure, these are made from the patient’s own tissue (healthy pulmonary valves).
- Homograft or Allograft: Human tissue of a donated heart is used to replace the damaged one.
- Xenograph: Animal tissue is used to replace a human valve.

For heart valve repair, the following treatment surgeries are performed.

Traditional Heart Valve Surgery

An incision is made in the centre of the sternum (breastbone) to access the heart. The abnormal heart valve is then repaired or replaced by the surgeon.