Heart valves keep blood flowing in the right direction between the heart’s four chambers.
Open-heart surgery is the traditional way of replacing a heart valve.
There arefour heart valves.
Photo composite by Joules Garcia for Verywell Health; Getty Images
Mitral valves are also commonly repaired or replaced, whereas the tricuspid and pulmonic valves are not.
Heart Valve Open Surgery vs. Other Procedures
Open-heart surgeryis the traditional option for all valve replacements.
Alternative options include minimally invasive valve replacement surgeries and catheter-based surgical procedures.
Similar to open-heart surgery, individuals are temporarily placed on a heart-lung bypass machine during the operation.
Other tools inserted through the same or additional incisions are used to replace the valve.
In some cases, the surgeonuses robotic instruments to perform the surgery.
Catheter-Based Procedures
Catheter-based procedures are also a minimally invasive approach to heart valve replacements.
They are performed by an interventional cardiologist or a cardiac surgeon in a hospital under general anesthesia ortwilight sleep.
Catheter-based procedures include:
The nuances of each catheter-based technique are complex.
However, the general steps of the above approaches include:
Does Valve Replacement Prolong Life Expectancy?
How Long Is the Hospital Stay?
The hospital stay for open heart surgery is longer, around a week.
Many variables play into the healing process.
However, his time frame may be shorter if a minimally invasive technique was performed.
Cardiac rehabilitation is a medically supervised program that provides exercise training and counseling on healthy lifestyle habits.
The overall purpose is to optimize your recovery timeline, well-being, endurance, and level of support.
Summary
Heart valve replacement is a treatment option for a diseased or damaged valve.
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