In the recent times, the number of patients suffering from heart problem has increased rapidly, hence; Heart valve replacement or repair surgery has become very common. Heart valve replacement is a procedure in which the affected valve of the patient is either repaired or replaced (depending on the patient’s condition). In total there are four valves present in human heart, all the four valves helps in flowing blood in the right direction inside the body. The problem arises when any of these four heart valves fails to contribute in uniform distribution of blood.
Four Heart Valves present in human body are:
- Mitral valve.
- Tricuspid valve.
- Pulmonary valve.
- Aortic valve.
Compared to other three valves, aortic valve is the one which is highly prone to suffer dysfunction. With the drastic revolution in the treatment industry, many new and effective treatment procedures are available that helps in curing this problem safely. Affected valves can be treated either by performing open heart surgery or by TAVR i.e. Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement procedure.
Treatment Procedure
Initially doctor explain the details to the heart valve replacement surgery patient and then based on the severity of the problem suggest the treatment. If the problem is very minor or in its initial stage, then doctor try to cure the problem through medication. In case the problem has reached beyond the reach of drug treatment then surgical approach is considered by the doctor. It is not the call of single person, instead; group of experts discuss the problem in detail and then suggest the most suited treatment option to the patient.
While deciding the heart valve replacement surgery approach doctors also take in to consider the age and health condition of the patient. For instance, the patients who are weak or are too aged for them open heart surgery is not recommended because their body cannot bear the strong effect of the heart valve replacement surgery. Open heart surgery is effective, but in this the chest of the patient is opened by making a major incision. Through this incision or cutting of the affected valve is repaired or replaced with an artificial valve. The procedure is slightly complicated as the heart of the patient may stop for some time and they are given support of external aid for heart beat. It is because of this reason aged and weak people are not advised to undergo this treatment procedure.
On the other hand, TAVR is a modern approach for treating affect heart valves. In this procedure, a small incision is made in patient’s body and through that valve repair or replacement is done. Risk factors associated with this treatment procedure is very less or almost negligible. These days, this surgical procedure is highly recommended and advised over the traditional open heart valve replacement surgery. Also, there is no need of keeping the patient on external heart aid for regular heartbeat. The procedure is completely safe for patients of all age groups.
How Long Do You Stay In The Hospital After A Heart Valve Replacement?
The time duration for which patient is required to stay in the hospital after the heart valve replacement surgery depends on two aspects. First the condition of the patient and second the surgical approach used by the surgeon. As discussed above in the open heart surgery a huge cut is made in the chest of the patient, so it requires more time to heal and also the patient are advised to stay in the hospital for minimum 2 to 3 weeks. This is because during this span doctor keep the patient under observation and ensure the heart function properly. On the contrary, in case of TAVR hospitalization period is less around 7 to 10 days, depending on patient’s condition. Healing speed is high in case of TAVR surgery.
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