Valve Repair Surgery
Why
is the doctor performing this surgery?
To repair a
poorly functioning heart valve. Properly functioning heart valves are
essential to direct the flow of the blood thru the heart, and to maintain
a normal workload for the heart. The most common heart valve surgically
repaired is the mitral valve. The tricuspid and aortic valves may also be
repaired.
What
is the surgery?
Valve
Repair Surgery is an open-heart procedure to fix a poorly functioning
heart valve, often without the need for mechanical or biologic parts.
Fused valve leaflets may be separated (called a Commissurotomy);
calcium deposits hindering valve function may be removed; pieces of
floppy/weak valve leaflets may be removed (called a resection); and holes
or tears in valve leaflets may be patched.
Sometimes
a mechanical (synthetic/man-made) ring may be necessary to reshape and
tighten the valve opening.
Where
is the surgery performed?
In the
Operating Room (OR), under general anesthesia.
How
long does this surgery take?
The length
of time surgery takes will depend on the valve being repaired, the repair
that must be done, the patient's underlying medical condition, etc, but a
good estimate is 2-3 hours.
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