UNDERSTANDING TREATMENT AORTIC AND MITRAL VALVE REPLACEMENT

TREATING A DISEASED HEART VALVE

There are several ways to treat a diseased heart valve — with medication, by repairing it, or by replacing it.

Every patient's condition is unique and each doctor has a unique approach to treatment. Together, you and your doctor will determine if heart valve replacement surgery is the best treatment for your particular condition.

HEART VALVE REPLACEMENT SURGERY

Valve replacement surgery is an enhanced way to treat problem valves. This procedure has been performed for decades. It is a procedure that may help many patients live healthier lives.

Two types of artificial (prosthetic) replacement valves are available for surgical implantation. One is a mechanical valve that is made of durable materials; the other is made of tissue. Tissue valves can be donated human heart valves or they can be made from animal tissue. Your condition is unique, so the kind of prosthetic valve used will be a decision you and your doctor make together.

Your doctor will get information about the heart valve condition by performing tests including any or all of these:

• Listening to the heart to hear the valves opening and closing and the rush of blood through them
• Performing an echocardiogram, which uses sound waves to produce detailed images of the heart. This is the most common test used to find out if a heart valve can be repaired. But often, direct inspection during surgery is the only way to find out.
• Conducting a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study, which uses a magnetic field and radio waves to get detailed images of the inside of the heart
• Taking an x-ray image of the chest to check the heart, its major vessels, and the lungs for abnormalities
• Using an electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure the electrical impulses given off by the heart. An ECG gives the doctor important information about the heart's rhythm and its size.

Make sure you get answers to all your questions and that you understand completely why a particular valve was chosen for you.

SHOULD I GET A MECHANICAL VALVE OR A TISSUE VALVE?

There are advantages and disadvantages with either choice¹. Your doctor can provide more details. A mechanical valve lasts longer than a tissue valve, but blood-thinning medication may be prescribed to the patient for the rest of their life to reduce the risk of blood clots. 

You and your doctor will decide together which option is best for you.