Open Heart Valve Replacement Surgery

When the human heart valves get diseased or damaged then they could not function properly. In this case, an Open Heart Valve Replacement Surgery is required. This surgery can be performed for all four types of valves namely 1. Tricuspid Valve 2. Pulmonary valve

3. Mitral valve and 4. Aortic Valve. Open Heart Valve Replacement Surgery is necessary to replace these valves due to two main reasons: First reason is Stenosis. This occurs when the valve gets stiff and hardened due to calcium deposits.

As a result the valve cannot open fully and only minimal amount of blood is passed through the valve. The second one is Insufficiency which is also known as Regurgitation. This occurs due to stretching and thinning of valves and hence blood may leak from the valve. Finally the valve doesn’t close and suffers from inadequate blood supply.

Open Heart Valve Replacement Surgery Procedure

The Open Heart Valve Replacement Surgery is traditionally done for the above said case which involves opening the chest and performing replacement. Initially the breastbone of the patient is opened by making a cut on the chest area.

Then the surgeon reaches the heart and makes it to stop while performing the surgery. In order to maintain the body function, the surgeon will fit an external lung-bypass machine which performs the function of the heart and pumps the blood till the surgery gets completed. After that the surgeon will identify the defected valve and replaces it with an artificial prosthetic heart valve. Also the surgeon will confirm whether to repair or replace the valve only during the surgery.

Types of Prosthetic Valves Used in Open Heart Valve Replacement Surgery

The prosthetic valves which are used as the replacement for the heart valves are of two types namely Mechanical Prosthetic Valves and Biological Prosthetic Valves.

Mechanical Prosthetic Valves

These valves are made from man made materials such as metal, carbon, polymer or plastic. These valves are strong and they can last up to 30 years after surgery. When mechanical valves are used for the surgery, an anticoagulant which is also known as “blood thinner” must be needed for therapy. This type of therapy is used to prevent the blood clot that forms around the valve.

Biological Prosthetic Valves

These valves are got from the tissues of cow, pig or human donors. The tissues are subjected to some chemical processes to prevent from infection. When this type of valve is used, the anticoagulant or blood thinners are not required. However these valves are not strong like mechanical valves and they can last only up to 10-15 years.

Risks involved in Open Heart Valve Replacement Surgery:

• Bleeding may happen during and after the surgery.

• Blood clots occurred may lead to lung problems, stroke or heart attack.

• Infection might occur at the incision site.

• Breathing problems, pneumonia and abnormal heart rhythms may occur.

| Complications and Risks Involved in an Open-heart Surgery | Cost of Valve Replacement Surgery | Heart Valve Replacement Surgery Complications | Heart Valve Replacement Surgery Survival Rate | Minimally Invasive Bypass Surgery | Mitral Valve Regurgitation Surgery | Open Heart Valve Replacement Surgery | Patent Ductus Arteriosus Surgery | Recovery from Aortic Valve Replacement Surgery | Recovery from Valve Replacement Surgery | Surgery for thoracic aortic aneurysm-A Summary | Valve Replacement Surgery Risks | What is Bypass Heart Surgery? | Ventricular Septal Defect Surgery |

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