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WHAT IS AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT?

Aortic valve replacement is an "open heart" procedure performed by cardithoracic surgeons for treatment of narrowing (stenosis) or leakage (regurgitation) of the aortic valve.

WHAT IS THE AORTIC VALVE?

 


The location of the aortic valve is shown in the diagram above. The heart has two sets of pumping chambers: the right-sided chambers pump blood to the lungs, and the left side pumps blood to the rest of the body. The left side, therefore, has a harder job than the right side, and the left side does most of the work. The main pumping chambers of the heart are called the ventricles.


Because the ventricle is a pump, it must have both an inflow valve and an outflow valve. The aortic valve is on the left side of the heart and is the outflow valve. The aortic valve opens to allow blood to leave the left ventricle (the main pumping chamber of the heart) and closes to prevent blood from leaking backwards into the ventricle from the rest of the body.

There are two main types of artificial valves. Bioprostheses, or bioprosthetic valves, are made of biological tissue (human or treated animal tissues). Mechanical valves are made of metal, carbon, and/or plastic. Your doctor will determine which type of valve is best for you based on many factors including your age, lifestyle, and the nature of your heart disease.

 

Tissue Valve

 Mechanical Valve

 

What Is Mitral Valve Repair?

Mitral valve repair is an open heart procedure performed by cardiothoracic surgeons to treat stenosis (narrowing) or regurgitation (leakage) of the mitral valve. The mitral valve is the "inflow valve" for the left side of the heart. Blood flows from the lungs, where it picks up oxygen, and into the heart through the mitral valve. When it opens, the mitral valve allows blood to flow into the heart's main pumping chamber called the left ventricle. It then closes to keep blood from leaking back into the lungs when the ventricle contracts (squeezes) to push blood out to the body. It has two flaps, or leaflets.

Occasionally, the mitral valve is abnormal from birth (congenital). More often the mitral valve becomes abnormal with age (degenerative) or as a result of rheumatic fever. In rare instances the mitral valve can be destroyed by infection or a bacterial endocarditis. Mitral regurgitation may also occur as a result of ischemic heart disease (coronary artery disease).

Mitral Stenosis

Mitral Insufficiency

Normal Valve

 

Tricuspid Valve Repair

Tricuspid regurgitation is a disorder involving backflow of blood from the right ventricle to the right atrium during contraction of the right ventricle. The most common cause of tricuspid regurgitation is not damage to the valve itself but enlargement of the right ventricle, which may be a complication of any disorder that causes right ventricular failure.