Valve Replacement & Repair

Valve replacement (valvuloplasty) is a surgical procedure to replace one or more defective heart valves with either an artificial heart valve or a bioprosthesis (grafted from human tissues). Alternatively, a valve repair may also be attempted, depending on the cardiologist’s analysis and recommendations.

Valve replacements and repairs have been carried out using the open heart technique where surgeon opens up the chest cavity to replace or repair the damaged heart valve. During the surgery, patients are placed on a heart-lung (cardiopulmonary bypass) machine to assist in the blood and oxygen flow throughout the body, while the heart is cooled down to slow or stop the heartbeat in order to avoid damage to the heart muscles during valvuloplasty. Once the damaged valves have been repaired or replaced, the heart function is restored and patients are disconnected from the heart-lung machine.

Valve repair and replacement surgeries take anywhere between 2 to 4 hours, or even more at times depending on the number of valves that the surgeon needs to replace.