Heart Valve Replacement

Your heart has four valves that open to let blood pass through and close to prevent blood from flowing back in the wrong direction. Valves can become blocked or narrowed (stenosis), or start leaking (regurgitation). If a diseased heart valve can't be repaired, it must be replaced. Today, valve replacement operations are fairly commonplace. If you have heart valve disease, heart valve replacement surgery may improve your health and energy. 

How it works

Heart valve replacement surgery requires general anesthesia and the use of a heart-lung machine to maintain blood flow while your heart valve is being replaced. The surgeon makes an incision to expose your heart, your old valve is removed and a new one is sewn into its location.

Specialized procedures

• The Ross Procedure is when the patient's own pulmonary valve is used to replace the aortic valve. The pulmonary valve is then replaced with the same valve from a human donor. Compared to traditional valve replacement using manufactured prosthetic valves, the Ross Procedure is most beneficial for young people and active older patients because it lasts longer than prosthetic valves and does not require blood thinners.
• Homograft replacement is valve replacement with donated human aortic valves. The use of human valves decreases the risk of infection.
• Mitral valve replacement surgery is performed with mechanical heart valves, tissue valves and donated human heart valves.
• Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) is a rapid non-invasive approach to treat severe valve disease.

There are three types of replacement heart valves:

• Human heart valves provide a low risk of infection and do not require the use of blood thinners. Valve replacement with a human heart valve requires a more complex surgical procedure than other valve replacements. Additionally, patients must be included on a waiting list because donor heart valves are in short supply.
• Tissue valves or biologic valves are made from animal or human tissue and may be combined with artificial materials, too. These are more readily available than human heart valves, and like human heart valves, they don't require blood thinners. Tissue valves generally last about 15 years, not as long as mechanical heart valves.
• Mechanical heart valves are developed completely from man-made materials. They are reliable and last much longer than tissue valves. Mechanical heart valves require that patients take blood thinners permanently to prevent a clot from forming on the valve.

Risks

As with all surgeries, the risks of valve replacement surgery are related to the age and relative health of the patient. Those risks include:

• Bleeding
• Infection
• Reaction to anesthesia
• Heart attack
• Irregular heartbeat
• Stroke
• Kidney failure
• Death

A seasoned team of experts who've led their field

UR Medicine Cardiac Care provides the most advanced valve replacement surgeries in the Rochester region. We also provide the widest range of valve replacement options for our patients. Our team regularly handles the most complex cases in the region with excellent outcomes.

Find out more

For details on heart valve replacement at UR Medicine, call us at (585) 276-6339