Your heart has four valves that open to let blood pass through and close to prevent blood from flowing back in the wrong direction. Valvular surgery is performed to repair heart valves that are blocked, narrowed (stenosis) or leaking (regurgitation). If a diseased heart valve can't be treated with medication or repaired, it must be replaced. Today, valve replacement operations are fairly commonplace. If you have heart valve disease, we'll consider performing heart valve replacement surgery to improve your health and energy.
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.
There are three types of replacement heart valves:
As with all surgeries, the risks of valve replacement surgery are related to the age and relative health of the patient. Those risks include:
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.
For details on heart valve replacement at UR Medicine, call us at (585) 275-2475 or contact our Valve Center