Mitral valve replacement and Mitral valve repair are two surgical procedures performed mainly to treat various diseases related to mitral valve i.e. the valve that remains present between left ventricle and left atrium of your left heart chambers.
When Surgery Becomes Essential?
Now, the question that comes in the mind when a patient should undergo for surgery related to mitral valve repair/replacement. For this, experts said that treatment to cure mitral valve disease depends on severity associated with one’s condition. Doctors thus recommend for surgery to replace or repair mitral valves for only some people.
Types of Surgical Procedures Available: A large number of surgical procedures are available to replace or repair mitral valves. However, the common ones are
- Open-heart mitral valve surgery and
- Minimally invasive cardiac surgery
How Long Does Mitral Valve Surgery Take?
Regardless the type of surgery i.e. valve replacement or valve repair, there is no specific rule for quick surgery in this regard. Accordingly, your surgery may sometimes take several hours to come up with proper repair. Good surgeons dedicate their time to achieve a proper valve repair and depending on specific condition, may switch to quick valve replacement surgery. Most of the surgeons are able to perform valve replacement within only 1 hour, while a complex one requires about 2 hours.
Time Required For Preparation And Post Care/Observation In The Hospital
Time Spent For The Preparation Of Your Surgery
Even though the actual procedure requires hours to obtain a valve repair or up to 2 hours for a valve replacement, both patients and doctors have to dedicate some time for the preparation for your surgery. During this phase, your doctor and his team will explain you about the expectations before, during and after your mitral valve surgery, along with the potential risks. The counseling session takes place for about few hours, during which you have to discuss and resolve your queries related to the surgical procedure.
Post Care/Observation Period In The Hospital
Whether you undergo with mitral valve repair or mitral valve replacement, you have to spend 1 or 2-day period in ICU i.e. Intensive Care Unit. During this period, your doctor will give you certain medications, nutrition and essential fluids with the help of IV i.e. intravenous lines. Even your doctor will place other tubes to drain the urine from the urine bladder and drain blood as well as fluid from the chest and the heart. After your observation in ICU, medical team will shift you to regular hospital room, where you have to stay many days.
Here, the actual numbers of days will vary depending on repair/replacement surgery, minimally invasive/open-heart surgery and other health conditions. Along with this, the entire treatment team will monitor the patient’s health condition and check signs related to any infection at the incision sites. In addition, medical experts will check your heart or pulse rate, breathing and blood pressure, while give you valuable tips to manage your pain after your surgery.
Along with this, doctor and the medical team experts instruct you to have regular walk and increase your physical activity gradually, while advice you to dedicate some time to perform breathing exercises related to your quick recovery.
Conclusion
Mitral valve repair and replacement, along with its preparation and post care/observation at the hospital are long-term procedures. However, the exact numbers of hours spent to dedicate depend on specific condition of a patient suffering from mitral valve disease.
Also Read:
- Mitral Valve Prolapse or Floppy Mitral Valve Syndrome
- How Many Years Does A Mitral Valve Repair Last?
- What Is The Best Treatment For Mitral Valve Disease?
- How Is A Mitral Valve Repair Done?
- What Are The Symptoms Of Mitral Valve Disease?
- Prevention Of Mitral Valve Disease
- Can Mitral Valve Disease Go Away On Its Own?
