Heart Valve Repair Vs. Replacement

Every year, more than 5 million Americans are diagnosed with heart valve disease, including mitral valve and aortic valve diseases. The heart valves move the blood through the heart, but when they are malfunctioning can cause a lot of issues for a person. Valve damage can be mild or severe. Depending on a person’s current condition, medical history, and symptoms, a doctor will determine if the patient’s issue can be managed through medication or if surgery is necessary.

Once it’s been decided that you are a candidate for mitral valve or aortic valve surgery, there are two different types of surgery that can be done: valve repair and valve replacement. Below, we will share information on each type of valve surgery.

Valve Repair – During a valve repair, the doctor will repair the congenital defects in the current valve. There are different types of repairs:

• Patching: The doctor will cover any holes or tears in the valve with a tissue patch.
• Commissurotomy: The surgeon will open the valves to narrow them by cutting where the leaflets meet.
• Valvuloplasty: The surgeon strengthens the leaflets in the valve by inserting a ring that attaches around the outside of the valve’s opening.
• Reshaping: The surgeon cuts a leaflet and sews it back together so the valve can now lower properly.
• Decalcification: The surgeon removes calcium build up on the leaflets so the valves can close.

Valve Replacements – When a person’s valve is severely damaged, it cannot be repaired, so a replacement has to occur. With a replacement, a surgeon can use a mechanical valve or a biological valve.

A mechanical valve can be made from plastic, metal, or carbon; they are strong and can last a long time. If a patient gets a mechanical valve, he or she has to be on an anticoagulant for life. A biological valve is made from animal tissue or human tissue of a donated heart. These types of valve may need to be replaced every 10 years, because they break down.

Your surgeon will be able to determine if repair or replacement is best for you. If you’re looking for a surgeon to perform mitral valve surgery or mini-AVR, contact Dr. Peter Mikhail. Dr. Mikhail is a specialist in mitral valve surgery in New Port Richey, Fl.