Aortic Valve Replacement

Aortic Valve Replacement

Overview

As the name suggests this surgery is related to heart. It can be said as an open heart surgery which is used to treat the aortic valve of the heart. Replacement of aortic valve is done for aortic valve regurgitation and aortic valve stenosis.

Aortic valve is one of the four valves which regular blood flow through the heart. The blood flow is maintained in the right direction through these valves. The aortic valve replacement is a procedure when a patient’s failed aortic valve is successfully replaced with an artificial heart valve. For some people this can be done by a minimally invasive surgery or by a catheter procedure.

Treatment Procedure

Aortic valve replacement in India is performed under the medical guidance and supervision of specialist doctors and surgeons. As far as the procedure is concerned the treatment flow is as follows:

Step 1 -An incision is made by cutting through the sternum

Step 2 - After opening the pericardium, the patient is put on a heart-lung machine, also known as a cardiopulmonary bypass machine. This machine helps the patient by taking over his breathing responsibility while surgeon replaces the valve.

Step 3 -A cut is made in the aorta and a crossclamp is applied.

Step 4 - The surgeon then locates and removes the diseased valve and the place is filled with a tissue valve. After keeping the valve in place the aorta is sealed and the heart lung machine is then taken off.

Step 5 - By a transesophageal echocardiogram it can be checked that whether the new valve is functioning properly or not.

Step 6 - Drainage tubes are then attached to drain all the fluids from the pericardium and chest following surgery.

Types of Valves
Two types of artificial valves are there:

• Tissue Valves - These are usually made from animal tissues and are then treated in order to prevent calcification and rejection.
• Mechanical Valves-These are stress tested to last for several hundred years. Though, this type of valve is long lasting, however risk of blood clots gets increased. Due to this associated risk the patient will have to take blood thinning drugs for the rest of their lives.

Signs and Symptoms requiring Valve Replacement

• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Swelling of legs and ankles
• Shortness of breath

Types of Diagnostic Tests
Various diagnostic tests performed to detect valve replacement are:

• TEE or transesophageal echocardiogram
• Chest X-ray
• ECG or electrocardiogram - It detects irregular heart beat
• Echo or Echocardiography - Main test for diagnosing the heart valve problems
• Cardiac MRI or cardiac catheterization

After Care and Recovery Time

After the surgery, the patient will have to stay in Intensive Care Unit for about 12 to 36 hours. Unless there is any complication, the patient is discharged after 4 days of this treatment procedure. Recovery from this will take about 3 months or so. Few pointers are to be kept in mind once you have undergone this surgery. These are:

• No heavy lifting for at least 4-6 months after surgery
• Avoid sudden strains
• No driving for around six weeks
• If any signs of infection immediately report to the doctor
• Avoid any strenuous exercise

Factors Affecting the Cost

The Aortic Valve Replacement cost in India is much cheaper in comparison to other countries. However, there are several factors involved in the treatment cost including:

• Medication cost
• Surgery cost
• Type of hospital chosen
• Type and cost of the selected valve to be replaced
• Follow up cost required