ABOUT VALVE REPAIR SURGERY
There are several ways to treat a problem heart valve. One of them is through valve repair surgery.
Some patients are not candidates for valve repair surgery. This is because their valves are too badly damaged. Every patient's condition is unique, and each doctor has a unique approach to treatment. Your doctor will determine if valve repair surgery is the best treatment for your particular condition.
Your doctor will get information about the heart valve condition by performing tests that may include any or all of these:
- Listening to the heart to hear the valves opening and closing and the rush of blood through them
- Conducting 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.
- Performing 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
- Ordering an electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure the electrical impulses given off by the heart. An ECG gives your doctor important information about the heart's rhythm and its size.
The procedure used to repair the heart valve depends on which valve is damaged.
Besides heart valve repair, other treatment options include medication and heart valve replacement.
Make sure to get answers to all the questions and understand completely why a particular method of treatment was chosen.