If you or a loved one has to have heart surgery, it can really be a scary thing. Luckily with all the great technology and surgeons out there, it really can be an less complicated procedure than other types of surgeries. There are different kinds of incisions that the surgeon can perform on you as well. They will ask you about this as well, but they can either cut you open a little bit (a little more complex for them but smaller scar), open you up a lot (very easy for them to get in and do their job but also leaves a big scar), or they can cut on your side but this is a bit more tricky.
There are four valves in the human heart: tricuspid, pulmonary or pulmonic, mitral, and the aortic.
There are many reasons why people need to have their valve replaced. They could be born with a bad heart valve or it can become damaged during their life time from rheumatic fever or an infected endocarditis.
When your heart valve is damaged, it has a difficult time opening and closing. This is could be either having a stenotic heart valve which has a difficulty time opening all the way or a regurgitation where the heart valve doesn’t close completely and the blood flows backwards.
These can really affect the way you live as well. If you are not a very active person you may not notice the symptoms caused from having a bad heart valve. Because your blood is not flowing through your heart properly you become easily tired if you are trying to be active and even have chest pains.
So you need heart surgery, which one is best for you?
Well your doctor will probably talk you through a lot of this, but since you might have not been taking notes, here are the different options you will have.
Valve Correction –
There are times that they can go in and actually just fix the valve you have. This can’t always be possible though, depending on the condition of you valve flaps. You may also have heard the flaps being called leaflets or cusps.
But if it is not possible to get your valve corrected, you may need to just get it replaced completely. You can choose between having a mechanical valve or a biological / tissue valve. Each valve has their advantages and disadvantages.
Mechanical Valve –
The benefit of using a mechanical valve is that they are made to last a lifetime. If you are are not that old, this is something to consider over a tissue valve. Though they last a lifetime, the downside of using a mechanical valve is lifetime treatment. Since these will not work the same as a biological tissue valve, they need to be monitored more closely.
You will need to take blood thinners to thin your blood. This is called anticoagulation. A regular tissue valve does not need this.
Another downside of having a mechanical valve is they make a little bit of noise. This clicking noise resembles the sound of when you put your ear up to someone’s watch. If you are completely quiet, you can hear the valve at work.
This may bother some people. I have had personal experience with this as my boyfriend has the mechanical valve replacing his aortic valve. Once in a while it can be bothersome at night, but you truly do get use to it.
A few people have made the comment, “What is that sound?” And he just will say, “My heart.”
This should not be mistaken for a pacemaker though. They are not the same thing.
Since he got the surgery done when he was 19, he chose the mechanical valve over the tissue valve due to how they are known to last a lifetime.
The most major drawback of a mechanical valve is blood clot complications. You will have to be more careful about this over the next person. This is a reason for the blood thinners. You also have to make sure to get out of the car or stand up once in a while if you are in an extended car ride or in flight.
Overall, this valve is good to choose if you want to ensure that the valve itself won’t age before you do. Many times if you use a tissue valve, it is a pig valve and sometimes these only last in the range of 15 years. However, they can last longer and have been known to.
Biological Valve –
These valves come from other animals such as pigs. They go through a chemical procedure that make it so that a human body will accept the donor valve. This is called Xenograft or Xenotranspantation (transplanting from one species to another). The pig heart is the most similar to the human heart, that is why they are used.
The upside of these is there is not continuous blood therapy like there is with the mechanical valve. Those that use the mechanical valve and have to go on blood thinners, cannot consume alcohol like other people because alcohol thins your blood. If your blood is thinned too much you could die from it.
This is why you need regular check ups on how thin your blood is to monitor your medication, visits could be as often as weekly if your blood changes a lot by your diet or you may only have to make monthly visits or a little longer depending on how regular you stay.
Those with the tissue valve do not have to go through this, and also will not have the sounds that come from the mechanical valve. But like I mentioned before, the best reason to choose a mechanical valve over a tissue valve is that they can last a life time. Sometimes these biological / tissue valves will have to be replaced later in life time, which means another surgery and going through the recovery period again later in life.
Surgeries become more difficult on humans as they age, so having to replace your biological valve later in life could cause you to have a higher risk for complications. If you are an older patient, biological valves are probably for you. Younger patients tend to go for the mechanical valves.
Some overview of things to consider when choosing which heart valve is best for you, consider your age, lifestyle, and current health condition. Your doctor should be able to help advice you what is best.
Surgery can really be a scary thing. But the more knowledge you get on something, the more you can be prepared and have an ease of mind for it. Just remember that after undergoing surgery and the recovery you will go on life feeling a lot better. Having a bad heart valve can really hold you back from normal activities since having a blood regurgitation and other complications can slow you down.
Heart valves are another wonderful thing about modern medicine. Surgery may be one of the hardest things you may have to overcome. But when you come out of it, you will have a unique heart to be proud of. The thing to feel best about is that it is functioning well and you can go about life as normal.
