Heart valve surgery is performed on people who have valve diseases. Heart valves are like muscular doors present in between the chambers of the heart.

Therefore, they are important in the blood circulation process of the heart. Any issue in valves can disrupt blood flow and the normal function of the heart.

When at least one of four heart valves does not work, it is considered valve disease. However, for minor issues, monitoring of doctors and medicinal treatment is enough. In serious cases, therefore, to restore the proper blood flow in the heart, surgeons perform heart valve surgery.

1. Chest Pain

Frequent chest pain may be a symptom of heart valve disease. Before reaching a dangerous point, one should run a proper health check-up and go for surgery.

2. Heart Attack

Valves are primarily responsible for the proper functioning of the heart. Therefore, if you treat heart valve diseases in the primary stage, then it would reduce the chances of a heart attack.

3. Breathing Difficulties

Breathing difficulties may occur due to dysfunction of heart valves. Further, breathing difficulties cause more serious problems such as COPD or severe lung problems. Therefore, heart valve surgery is needed to block the occurrence of all these.

4. Dizziness

The heart regulates the whole blood circulation of the body. Due to interrupted blood flow, one may feel dizzy and face further health complications. Therefore, it is recommended to opt for surgery if needed.

Heart valve surgeries are primarily of two categories -

Annuloplasty - In this type of surgery, the surgeon tightens and reshapes the annulus, which is the ring of the valves. In this process, a surgeon measures the expanded ring of valves and sews it with a rigid or flexible band.

Valvuloplasty - Valvuloplasty is a type of surgery where the narrow openings of the heart valves get fixed. The surgery removes the valve stenosis and helps in better blood flow. The surgery works on Aortic valve stenosis, Mitral valve stenosis, pulmonary valve stenosis (pulmonic stenosis) and Tricuspid valve stenosis.

Furthermore, within these two categories, there are different types of heart valve surgeries. They are as follows -

1. Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement is a minimally invasive technique of heart valve surgery. This is an advanced alternative to open heart surgery. Therefore, it involves less risk and benefits the patients. During the surgery, surgeons put a catheter into the heart valve through the channel between the ribs and near the groin.

Benefits:

• The process is less complicated
• In this process, surgeons do not make a huge cut in the body
• The incision is very small and easily curable
• Patients won’t need to stay for a longer period in the hospital

Survival Rate:

The survival rate after doing TAVR for 1 and 3 years is 90.2% and 83.8%, respectively

Cost of Surgery:

Approximately ₹ 3,00,000 to ₹ 5,00,000

2. Balloon Valvuloplasty

In this surgery, heart surgeons temporarily inflate a balloon in your valves to narrow the stenosis. Though this surgery is not that effective for adults, they can choose it if they can’t take a valve replacement in the first place.

Benefits:

• This is a minimally invasive method that involves fewer complications
• Improves blood flow through valves
• Reduces the chance of stenotic valve

Survival Rate:

The survival rate of this surgery is 55% to 23% for 1 to 3 years, respectively.

Cost of Surgery:

Approximately ₹ 4,00,000

3. Bioprosthetic Valve Replacement

Bioprosthetic valve replacement involves the implantation of valves during surgery for mitral diseases. The surgery is mainly for elderly people who have more risk factors. This is because the surgery can be done with a minimally invasive technique which involves less blood loss.

Benefits:

• Less complicated
• Reduces the need for medicines for a lifetime
• This surgery involves less risk

Survival Rate:

The survival rate of this surgery for 15 years is 60.6% on average.

Cost of Surgery:

Approximately ₹ 3,66,960 to ₹ 4,38,757

4. Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair (TMVR)

This surgery is necessary for people with chronic moderate to severe MR or mitral regurgitation. The process is done by adhering to minimally invasive techniques; therefore, it is effective and less risky.

Benefits:

• The process has less post-surgical pain
• Complication free process
• Quick recovery

Survival Rate:

Survival rate of TMVR for 1, 2 and 5 years is respectively 85.3% , 75.5% and 50.1% respectively.

Cost of Surgery:

Approximately ₹ 3,00,000 to ₹ 5,00,000

5. Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement

Here surgeons remove the defective mitral valve through a minimally invasive technique. Afterwards, a replacement valve is placed in the affected area, and a catheter is placed in the leg or chest following the heart.

Benefits:

• Fast procedure
• Reduces post-heart valve replacement surgery risks
• Less blood loss
• Perfect for older people

Survival Rate:

For 1 year, the survival rate of this surgery is 90.7% to 74.2 %. A follow-up of 5 years shows that the survival rate is 81.3% to 61%.

Cost of Surgery:

Approximately ₹ 4,00,000

The heart is the main organ of our body, and any kind of operation on the heart deserves special care. In addition, valves are sensitive and need to be treated or replaced properly without complications.

Although maximum types of surgeries are minimally invasive, your body needs proper care before undergoing the pressure of the surgery. Following are some helpful tips that will help you to prepare for the surgery,

Food: You must take proper advice from your health care team about what to eat. In addition, you will also need to confirm whether you need to stop eating or drinking the night before the surgery.

Medication: As the surgeries are quite critical, therefore, you need to clarify the medicine intake before your surgery. This is because different medicines have different side effects that can harm a heart patient.

Important Things to Carry: The surgeries are time-consuming, and you may need to stay in the hospital for longer, depending on your health condition. Therefore it is recommended to carry clothes, important medicines and relaxing items such as books.

Avoid Certain Things: You need to avoid wearing the below-mentioned things during heart valve surgeries -

• Eyeglasses
• Dentures
• Nail polish
• Contact lenses
• Jewellery

With all these, hospitals will also contribute to your preparation; for example, they will use a special soap to disinfect your body etc.

Though there are a lot of advanced technologies, heart surgeries always have potential risks. These are listed below,

• Breathing trouble as a post-surgical outcome
• Bleeding during surgery or post-surgery can be fatal for the older people
• Getting pneumonia is another potential risk
• Abnormal heart rhythm or arrhythmias is another risk factor
• In serious cases, a patient may need a pacemaker
• A blood clot that causes a heart attack or lung problems
• Infection may grow around the incision site
• Anaesthetic reaction may occur
• After replacement, valve failure also may occur

However, surgeons are nowadays taking the help of minimally invasive operation techniques that are quite helpful to lower the risk factors during surgeries. Hence, for post-heart valve replacement surgery complications, patients should take care of their health properly.

According to the importance of the surgeries, the preparation may take weeks or even months. You will need to consult with a cardiologist for the surgery. Hence, the expert clinical services you can expect from the hospital are as follows,

• You will get a thorough explanation of the surgery.
• You may undergo some clinical check-ups to ensure your good health.
• The doctor will ask you to fast for at least 8 hours before surgery.
• You need to sign a bond beforehand to proceed further.
• Pregnant women should notify the surgeon beforehand.
• All sorts of medicine, allergies and other complications should be informed to the doctor.
• You may need a blood test to understand how quickly blood can clot.
• You should stop smoking to increase the chances of your recovery.

Surgeons generally follow the below-mentioned process during any heart valve surgery,

• You will be asked to remove any jewellery or object from your body to avoid complications.
• You have to remove your clothes and wear an operating gown.
• The surgeon will ask you to clear your bladder before the surgery.
• An IV will be started on your hand.
• The surgeon will check your blood pressure, monitor your heart and collect your blood samples.
• The caregiver team will help you to lie down on the operating table on your back.
• There will be continuous monitoring of your body condition.
• After anaesthesia, a breathing tube will be inserted into your throat.
• Surgeons will also insert a catheter to manage the urinary system.
• The clinical team will disinfect your skin with a special solution.
• The whole process of surgery will be started with making an incision from Adam’s apple to the above point of the navel.
• Then, doctors divide the breastbone and start the procedure of valve repair by stopping the working of the heart.
• In the procedure, surgeons either fuse the valves or remove the affected valves. In addition, they also reshape the valve according to the requirements.
• For further support, surgeons also may place a pacemaker into your heart.
• After the delicate heart valve operation, the breastbone again gets fixed, and the incision is closed.
• The caregiver team will perform the post-surgical healing methods such as insertion of necessary tubes and dressing.

The cares you will get after a heart valve surgery from the hospital are as follows,

• Depending on your condition, you will be taken to ICU or recovery room
• Doctors will continuously monitor the ECG, oxygen level, blood pressure, heartbeat rate etc.
• Until you reach a stable condition, you will get breathing assistance from a ventilator
• After you regain your breathing capabilities, the caregiver team will remove the breathing and stomach support as well
• Afterwards, you will be given certain breathing exercises to recover fully from post-surgical complications
• Nurses will guide you more on how to avoid post-surgical discomforts
• As you recover and eventually start consuming liquids, you will be again monitored by doctors, and they will release you
• After returning home, you have to take care of your health properly by intaking proper food and medicines

After heart valve surgery, you may or may not get serious symptoms that will need further treatment. So, call your doctor again whenever you notice the following symptoms -

• Chest pain
• Infection near the incision site
• Frequent fever
• Swelling of the incision site
• Bleeding from the incision site, etc.