Low Cost Heart Valve repair and Heart Valve Replacement Surgery in India

Heart Valve repair and Heart Valve Replacement Surgery

Valve repair

Surgical

• A commissurotomy is surgery to open up valves that have thickened and are perhaps stuck together. The valve is opened by cutting the points where the leaflets of the valve meet. Commissurotomy is a type of valvuloplasty or valve re-shaping. 
• Annuloplasty is a technique to repair an enlarged annulus, a ring of fibrous tissue at the base of the heart valve. To repair the annulus, sutures are sewn around the ring to make the opening smaller. Alternatively, a ring-like device is attached around the outside of the valve opening. The ring provides support to the valve so it can close more tightly. 
• A surgeon may reshape a valve by cutting out a section or sections of a leaflet and then sewing the leaflet back together. 
• Decalcification is surgery to remove calcium buildup from the leaflets. 
• Valves are supported by cords (called chordae tendineae) and papillary muscles. If these are stretched or weak, the valve may not close properly. By replacing or shortening the cords, the valve will be strengthened and able to close properly. 
• If there are holes or tears in the leaflets of the valve, a surgeon may repair them with a tissue patch.

Minimally invasive valve repair

Unlike conventional surgery, minimally invasive surgery does not involve sawing through the breastbone and opening the chest. The surgeon watches the heart on a video screen and operates using long-handled surgical tools inserted through small incisions. In some cases, robotic arms are used. Minimally invasive valve repair is only available in some hospitals. It is also referred to as endoscopic or robotic heart surgery.

Non-surgical valve repair

Percutaneous or catheter-based procedures are done without any incisions in the chest or stopping the heart. Instead, a thin flexible tube called a catheter is inserted into a blood vessel in the groin or the arm and then threaded up into the interior of the heart.

• Percutaneous or balloon valvuloplasty is used in people with stiffened or narrowed (stenosed) pulmonary, mitral or aortic valves (more commonly for the mitral than the aortic valve). A balloon tip on the end of the catheter is positioned in the narrowed valve and inflated to enlarge the opening or to crack open calcified tissue. 
• Several methods of percutaneous mitral valve repair are being developed. These procedures are still in the developmental phase and are available in a limited number of centres. One example is edge-to-edge repair, which can be used in the case of a very leaky mitral valve in a patient who is considered high risk for a surgical repair or replacement. A delivery catheter holding a clip is advanced through the femoral vein from the groin into the left side of the heart, under general anesthesia. The clip is positioned beyond the leaky valve in an open position and then pulled back so that it catches the flaps of mitral valve. Once closed, the clip holds the leaflets together and stops the valve from leaking.

Valve Replacement

Replacement is more commonly used to treat aortic valves or severely damaged mitral valves. There are two kinds of valves that are used for valve replacement and you should talk with your doctor about which type is best for you.

• Mechanical valves are made from durable metals, carbon, ceramics and plastics. A fabric sewing ring is used to attach the valve to the tissues in the patient’s heart. The major advantage is durability. However, blood thinners must be taken the rest of the patient’s life to prevent blood clots. The valve makes a soft clicking sound when it floats shut, which may bother some patients. People generally adjust quickly to this sound. 
• Biological valves are made from:
  • Animal tissue, either an actual pig valve or a bovine pericardial engineered valve (a xenograph).
  • Human tissue of a donated heart (an allograft or homograft), used most often to replace infected valves.
  • A patient’s own tissues (an autograft). A Ross Procedure (also called a Switch Procedure) involves taking the patient’s normally functioning pulmonary valve and using it to replace a diseased aortic valve. The pulmonary valve is then replaced with a donated (homograft) pulmonary valve.

Biological valves are not as durable as mechanical valves and may need to be replaced between 5 and 15 years. Patients with biological valves will need to take blood thinners in the short term.

Minimally invasive valve replacement surgery

The most advanced technology for minimally invasive heart surgery is now available in India. Robotic da Vinci Surgical System combines superior 3D visualization along with greatly enhanced dexterity, precision and control in an intuitive, ergonomic interface with breakthrough surgical capabilities.



In Robotic Cardiac Surgery, robotic assist the heart surgeon in performing surgery through tiny incisions. The surgeon has to sit in an operating room where he controls the instruments while looking at 3D images from the camera which is inside the patient. Various procedures can be performed in this case such as mitral valve replacement or repair, correction of HOCM etc. Use of Robotic Surgery in Cardiology has benefits as it involves less pain, scarring and risk that are otherwise involved. The surgeon can perform surgery through tiny openings in the chest, cracking the breastbone and spreading the ribs.

Heart Surgery in India with the Best Heart surgeons in India is what medical tourists coming to India look for and is delivered at best cardiac hospitals in India . No other destination in the world can match the unparalleled clinical excellence, technology infrastructure and cost advantage offered by MedWorld India affiliated heart hospitals in India to deliver 99 percent and above successful outcomes for heart surgery.

 Our aim is to reduce the deadly consequences of cardiovascular diseases through innovative therapies for patient care. Our healthcare professionals at state of the art, heart specialty hospitals have a dedicated team of Cardiac surgeons and cardiologists who work in tandem to provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary care to patients suffering from heart ailments.

MedWorld India Affiliated Best Heart Hospitals in India offer: - The ultimate destination for international patients who want World Best, Affordable Heart Surgery

• Latest and best available techniques globally like Robotic Heart Surgery, Minimally Invasive Valve & coronary Heart Bypass Surgery, Primary and complex Coronary Angioplasties and Stenting. Percutaneous Valvular interventions including aortic valve replacement need a special mention..
• Many of the world's finest heart hospitals are located in India with 98-99 % success rate for most procedures.
• Cost of Surgery just 1/6th of cost in USA, UK or Europe with finest quality implants, prosthesis and consumables imported from Leading International Companies.
• The highly trained team of Electrophysiologists have tremendous experience in doing all kind of radiofrequency ablations, device implantations, electrophysiology studies, and pacemaker and resynchronization therapy.
• Computer Navigation Surgery System for excellent outcomes and use of finest quality implants, prosthesis and consumables imported from Leading International Companies.
• Specialized Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation services for quick rehabilitation after cardiac surgery in India.
• India’s leading hospital for children’s heart surgeries performs almost 3 times as many surgeries as Children’s Hospital, Boston, the leading children’s hospital in the USA

India offers great value proposition to patients looking for affordable Heart surgery or Cardiac surgery abroad as not only the cost of valve replacement in India is very low, the facilities and infrastructure is most modern and is counted among the best heart hospitals in the world. Cardiac surgeons now use most advanced minimally invasive heart valve replacement or repair surgery techniques for eligible patients.

For more information visit:          http://www.medworldindia.com    
                                                          https://www.facebook.com/medworld.india

 Please scan and email your medical reports  to us at care@medworldindia.com and we shall get you a Free Medical Opinion from India’s Best Doctors.

  Call Us : +91-9811058159

  Mail Us : care@medworldindia.com

Heart Valve Repair or Replacement Surgery at World Class Hospitals in India

Blood is pumped through your heart in only one direction. Heart valves play a key role in this one-way blood flow, opening and closing with each heartbeat. Pressure changes on either side of the valves cause them to open their flap-like "doors" (called cusps or leaflets) at just the right time, then close tightly to prevent a backflow of blood.

There are 4 valves in the heart:

• Tricuspid valve
• Pulmonary valve
• Mitral valve
• Aortic valve

Nearly all of these operations are done to repair or replace the mitral or aortic valves. These valves are on the left side of the heart, which works harder than the right. They control the flow of oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the rest of the body.

Valve Disease

If valve damage is mild, doctors may be able to treat it with medicines. If damage to the valve is severe, surgery to repair or replace the valve may be needed.

What is valve repair?

Valve repair can usually be done on congenital valve defects (defects you are born with) and has a good success record with treating mitral valve defects.

Here are some procedures surgeons may use to repair a valve:

• Commissurotomy, which is used for narrowed valves, where the leaflets are thickened and perhaps stuck together. The surgeon opens the valve by cutting the points where the leaflets meet.
• Valvuloplasty, which strengthens the leaflets to provide more support and to let the valve close tightly. This support comes from a ring-like device that surgeons attach around the outside of the valve opening.
• Reshaping, where the surgeon cuts out a section of a leaflet. Once the leaflet is sewn back together, the valve can close properly.
• Decalcification, which removes calcium buildup from the leaflets. Once the calcium is removed, the leaflets can close properly.
• Repair of structural support, which replaces or shortens the cords that give the valves support (these cords are called the chordae tendineae and the papillary muscles). When the cords are the right length, the valve can close properly.
• Patching, where the surgeon covers holes or tears in the leaflets with a tissue patch.

What is valve replacement?

Severe valve damage means that the valve will need to be replaced. Valve replacement is most often used to treat aortic valves and severely damaged mitral valves. It is also used to treat any valve disease that is life-threatening. Sometimes, more than one valve may be damaged in the heart, so patients may need more than one repair or replacement.

There are 2 kinds of valves used for valve replacement:

• Mechanical valves, which are usually made from materials such as plastic, carbon, or metal. Mechanical valves are strong, and they last a long time. Because blood tends to stick to mechanical valves and create blood clots, patients with these valves will need to take blood-thinning medicines for the rest of their lives.
• Biological valves, which are made from animal tissue (called a xenograft) or taken from the human tissue of a donated heart (called an allograft or homograft). Sometimes, a patient's own tissue can be used for valve replacement (called an autograft). Patients with biological valves usually do not need to take blood-thinning medicines. These valves are not as strong as mechanical valves, though, and they may need to be replaced every 10 years or so. Biological valves break down even faster in children and young adults, so these valves are used most often in elderly patients.

You and your doctor will decide which type of valve is best for you.

During valve repair or replacement surgery, the breastbone is divided, the heart is stopped, and blood is sent through a heart-lung machine. Because the heart or the aorta must be opened, heart valve surgery is open heart surgery.

What to Expect

The operation will usually be scheduled at a time that is best for you and your surgeon, except in urgent cases. As the date of your surgery gets closer, be sure to tell your surgeon and cardiologist about any changes in your health. If you have a cold or the flu, this can lead to infections that may affect your recovery. Be aware of fever, chills, coughing, or a runny nose. Tell the doctor if you have any of these symptoms.

Also, remind your cardiologist and surgeon about all of the medicines you are taking, especially any over-the-counter medicines such as aspirin or those that might contain aspirin. You should make a list of the medicines and bring it with you to the hospital.

It is always best to get complete instructions from your cardiologist and surgeon about the procedure, but here are some basics you can expect when you have valve repair or replacement surgery.

Before the Hospital Stay

Most patients are admitted to the hospital the day before surgery or, in some cases, on the morning of surgery.

The night before surgery, you will be asked to bathe to reduce the amount of germs on your skin. After you are admitted to the hospital, the area to be operated on will be washed, scrubbed with antiseptic, and, if needed, shaved.

A medicine (anesthetic) will make you sleep during the operation. This is called "anesthesia." Because anesthesia is safest on an empty stomach, you will be asked not to eat or drink after midnight the night before surgery. If you do eat or drink anything after midnight, it is important that you tell your anesthesiologist and surgeon.

If you smoke, you should stop at least 2 weeks before your surgery. Smoking before surgery can lead to problems with blood clotting and breathing.

Day of Surgery

Before surgery, you may have an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), blood tests, urine tests, and a chest x-ray to give your surgeon the latest information about your health. You will be given something to help you relax (a mild tranquilizer) before you are taken into the operating room.

Small metal disks called electrodes will be attached to your chest. These electrodes are connected to an electrocardiogram machine, which will monitor your heart's rhythm and electrical activity. You will receive a local anesthetic to numb the area where a plastic tube (called a line) will be inserted in an artery in your wrist. An intravenous (IV) line will be inserted in a vein. The IV line will be used to give you the anesthesia before and during the operation.

After you are completely asleep, a tube will be inserted down your windpipe and connected to a machine called a respirator, which will take over your breathing. Another tube will be inserted through your nose and down your throat, into your stomach. This tube will stop liquid and air from collecting in your stomach, so you will not feel sick and bloated when you wake up. A thin tube called a catheter will be inserted into your bladder to collect any urine produced during the operation.

A heart-lung machine is used for all valve repair or replacement surgeries. This will keep oxygen-rich blood flowing through your body while your heart is stopped. A perfusion technologist or blood-flow specialist operates the heart-lung machine. Before you are hooked up to this machine, a blood-thinning medicine called an anticoagulant will be given to prevent your blood from clotting. The surgical team is led by the cardiovascular surgeon and includes other assisting surgeons, an anesthesiologist, and surgical nurses.

After you are hooked up to the heart-lung machine, your heart is stopped and cooled. Next, a cut is made into the heart or aorta, depending on which valve is being repaired or replaced. Once the surgeon has finished the repair or replacement, the heart is then started again, and you are disconnected from the heart-lung machine.\

The surgery can take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours or more, depending on the number of valves that need to be repaired or replaced.

Recovery Time

You can expect to stay in the hospital for about a week, including at least 1 to 3 days in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Recovery after valve surgery may take a long time, depending on how healthy you were before the operation. You will have to rest and limit your activities. Your doctor may want you to begin an exercise program or to join a cardiac rehabilitation program.

If you have an office job, you can usually go back to work in 4 to 6 weeks. Those who have more physically demanding jobs may need to wait longer.

Life after Valve Replacement

Most valve repair and replacement operations are successful. In some rare cases, a valve repair may fail and another operation may be needed.

Patients with a biological valve may need to have the valve replaced in 10 to 15 years. Mechanical valves may also fail, so patients should alert their doctor if they are having any symptoms of valve failure.

Patients with a mechanical valve will need to take a blood-thinning medicine for the rest of their lives. Because these medicines increase the risk of bleeding within the body, you should always wear a medical alert bracelet and tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking a blood-thinning medicine.

Even if you are not taking a blood-thinning medicine, you must always tell your doctor and dentist that you have had valve surgery. If you are having a surgical or dental procedure, you should take an antibiotic before the procedure. Bacteria can enter the bloodstream during these procedures. If bacteria get into a repaired or artificial valve, it can lead to a serious condition called bacterial endocarditis. Antibiotics can prevent bacterial endocarditis.

Patients with mechanical valves say they sometimes hear a quiet clicking sound in their chest. This is just the sound of the new valve opening and closing, and it is nothing to be worried about. In fact, it is a sign that the new valve is working the way it should.

Minimally Invasive ValveSurgery

Minimally invasive heart valve surgery is a technique that uses smaller incisions to repair or replace heart valves. This means there is less pain. Minimally invasive surgery also reduces the length of the hospital stay and the recovery time.

Minimally invasive valve surgery can only be done in certain patients. This type of surgery cannot be done in patients

• With severe valve damage
• Who need more than one valve repaired or replaced
• Who have clogged arteries (atherosclerosis)
• Who are obese

In some cases, minimally invasive valve surgery can be done using a robot. Robotic surgery does not require a large incision in the chest. It is not available at all hospitals, and patients with severe valve damage cannot have the procedure. The Texas Heart Institute has a robot.

With robotic surgery, the surgeon has a control console, a side cart with 3 robotic arms, a special vision system, and instruments. A computer translates the surgeon's natural hand and wrist movements made on the control console to instruments that have been placed inside the patient through small incisions. The robot's controls can read even the tiniest of movements the surgeon makes.

Robotic surgery can reduce the time it takes to do valve surgery, as well as shorten the hospital stay and recovery time. 

• For more information visit:          http://www.medworldindia.com       
                      https://www.facebook.com/medworld.india
  
  
  Please scan and email your medical reports  to us at care@medworldindia.com and we shall get you a Free Medical Opinion from India’s Best Doctors.
  
  
  Call Us : +91-9811058159
  Mail Us : care@medworldindia.com

WHAT IF HEART SURGERY DIDN'T LEAVE A HUGE SCAR? : Robotic Surgery (da Vinci Surgery)

If your doctor recommends surgery to treat mitral valve prolapse, you may be a candidate for da Vinci® Mitral Valve Repair, potentially the most effective least invasive treatment option available. da Vinci Mitral Valve Repair is an alternative to conventional open heart surgery – the traditional way to treat mitral valve disease. da Vinci Mitral Valve Repair is performed using the da Vinci Surgical System, enabling your surgeon to operate with unparalleled precision and control through a few small incisions.

In addition to avoiding the pain and trauma of sternotomy and rib spreading, da Vinci Mitral Valve Repair provides most patients with the following benefits over open surgery:

o    Less risk of infection

o    Less blood loss and need for blood transfusions

o    Shorter hospital stay

o    Significantly less pain and scarring

o    Faster recovery

o    Quicker return to normal activities

o    And a potentially better clinical outcome

OLD VS. NEW

While surgery is generally the most effective way to treat disorders of the heart, lungs and esophagus, traditional open surgery has a number of inherent drawbacks caused primarily by making a large incision, splitting of the breastbone and spreading the ribs to access the thoracic space. In addition to an 8 to 10” scar down the center of your chest, splitting of the breastbone leads to a lengthy recovery time as well as a prolonged delay before you will return to normal daily activities.

The minimally invasive da Vinci® Surgical System, provides surgeons and patients with what may be the most effective, least invasive treatment alternative for even the most complex cardiothoracic procedures such as mitral valve repair.

HEART VALVE DISEASE

HEART VALVES

Heart valves regulate the flow of blood through the heart's four chambers—two small, round upper chambers (atria) and two larger, cone-shaped lower chambers (ventricles). Each ventricle has a one-way inlet valve and a one-way outlet valve. In the right ventricle, the inlet valve is the tricuspid valve, which opens from the right atrium, and the outlet valve is the pulmonary (pulmonic) valve, which opens into the pulmonary arteries. In the left ventricle, the inlet valve is the mitral valve, which opens from the left atrium, and the outlet valve is the aortic valve, which opens into the aorta. Each valve consists of flaps (cusps or leaflets), which open and close like one-way swinging doors.

HEART VALVE DISORDERS

Heart valves don't always work as they should. A person can be born with an abnormal heart valve, a type of congenital heart defect.

A defective heart valve is one that fails to fully open or close. A stenotic heart valve can't open completely, so blood is pumped through a smaller-than-normal opening. A valve also may not be able to close completely. This leads to regurgitation (blood leaking back through the valve when it should be closed).

HEART VALVE TREATMENT IN INDIA

Most of the time, there are no (or few) symptoms for mitral valve conditions, and treatment is not needed. If you have severe mitral valve prolapse, you may need to stay in the hospital. Surgery to repair or replace the valve may be needed if you have severe mitral regurgitation or your symptoms get worse.

SURGERY

Surgery should be considered in virtually all patients with a leak that is graded as a 4 (severe) and in some patients with a leak that is graded as a 3 (moderately severe). When a patient with mitral valve regurgitation develops symptoms, a decrease in heart function, or an increase in heart size, surgery is recommended. Surgery should also be considered when a patient develops atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular heartbeat. Surgery is also recommended in many asymptomatic patients who have a severe leak.

MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY

Recently, minimally invasive approaches to Mitral Valve Repair are replacing sternotomy as the surgical method of choice. Of the minimally invasive approaches, robotic surgery (da Vinci Surgery) has many practical advantages for both the patient and the surgeon – precision, fewer complications, reduced blood loss and shorter hospital stays.

Advanced Interventional Cardiology Procedures for Treatment of Heart Diseases

Why is a Angioplasty Done ?

Deposition of fatty substances in the coronary arteries (arteries supplying blood to the heart), develops a blockage. This condition is called as ‘coronary artery disease’ (CAD). This blockage creates a problem in the free flow of the blood to your heart muscle. This situation might lead to a heart attack. Angioplasty is a widely performed procedure that is used to treat heart problems caused by blocked or narrowed coronary arteries (blood vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle). This procedure is performed highly successfully by interventional cardiologists at heart hospitals in India. The coronary angioplasty, which normally takes between one to two hours, aims to remove or reduce blockages in the coronary arteries and restore blood flow to the heart muscle. The coronary angioplasty procedure is performed in a Cardiac Catheterisation Lab . All cardiac speciality hospitals in India as well as most of multi-speciality hospitals in India are equipped with Cath Labs

Procedure :

Angioplasty procedure involves insertion of catheter in your groin and hence before the angioplasty procedure you would be given a mild sedative and some pain killers to ensure that you remain relaxed during the procedure. Your doctor will insert a catheter into an artery in your groin and gently manoeuvre it to the heart. This catheter has a balloon at the tip and once the catheter reaches the site of the blockage, the balloon on the end is inflated. This opens the blockage and restores the proper flow of the blood to the heart. Often the device which is called a stent is also placed at the site of blockage in order to keep the artery open. .

 A stent is a small, mesh like metallic device, which when placed at the site of blockage acts as a support to keep the artery open thus maintaining the blood flow. Two main varieties of stents are used. The first is a non medicated or bare stents and the second is medicated or drug eluting stents. Both the stents serve the function of supporting the open artery. The medicated stent in addition releases drug locally at the treated site to reduce the chances of recurrence of blockage at the same site.    

• Balloon Angioplasty - Balloon Angioplasty is a procedure in which a narrowed heart valve is stretched open in a way that does not require open heart surgery.It is a procedure in which a thin tube (catheter) that has a small deflated balloon at the tip is inserted through the skin in the groin area into a blood vessel, and then is threaded up to the opening of the narrowed heart valve. The balloon is inflated, which stretches the valve open. This procedure cures many valve obstructions. It is also called balloon enlargement of a narrowed heart valve.
  
• Stents - Approximately 70% of angioplasty procedures also involve stenting, which is the insertion of a small metal cylinder called a stent into a blood vessel. In this procedure, a collapsed stent is placed over the balloon at the tip of the catheter. When the balloon inflates, the stent pops open and reinforces the artery walls. The balloon and catheter are then withdrawn and the stent inside permanently. In a few weeks, tissue from the artery lining grows over the stent.There are two types of stents. Bare-metal stents are plain, untreated metal cylinders. Drug-eluting stents (also called drug-coated stents) are coated with medication before they are placed in the artery.
  
• Rotablation (Percutaneous Transluminal Rotational Atherectomy or PTRA) - A special catheter, with an acorn-shaped, diamond-coated tip, is guided to the point of narrowing in the coronary artery. The tip spins around at a high speed and grinds away the plaque on the arterial walls. This process is repeated as needed to treat the blockage and improve blood flow. The microscopic particles are washed safely away in your blood stream and filtered out by your liver and spleen.
  
• Drug-Eluting Stents - A drug-eluting stent (DES) is a coronary stent (a scaffold) placed into narrowed, diseased coronary artery. It slowly releases a drug to block cell proliferation. This prevents fibrosis that, together with clots (thrombus), could otherwise block the stented artery, a process called restenosis. The stent is usually placed within the coronary artery by an Interventional cardiologist during an angioplasty procedure.

              

Heart Surgery in India with the Best Heart surgeons in India : Zambian Patients Treatment India

Heart Surgery in India with the Best Heart surgeons in India is what medical tourists coming to India look for and is delivered at best cardiac hospitals in India . No other destination in the world can match the unparalleled clinical excellence, technology infrastructure and cost advantage offered by MedWorld India affiliated heart hospitals in India to deliver 99 percent and above successful outcomes for heart surgery.

Our aim is to reduce the deadly consequences of cardiovascular diseases through innovative therapies for patient care. Our healthcare professionals at state of the art, heart specialty hospitals have a dedicated team of Cardiac surgeons and cardiologists who work in tandem to provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary care to patients suffering from heart ailments.

MedWorld India Affiliated Best Heart Hospitals in India offer: - The ultimate destination for international patients who want World Best, Affordable Heart Surgery

• Latest and best available techniques globally like Robotic Heart Surgery, Minimally Invasive Valve & coronary Heart Bypass Surgery, Primary and complex Coronary Angioplasties and Stenting. Percutaneous Valvular interventions including aortic valve replacement need a special mention..
• Many of the world's finest heart hospitals are located in India with 98-99 % success rate for most procedures.
• Cost of Surgery just 1/6th of cost in USA, UK or Europe with finest quality implants, prosthesis and consumables imported from Leading International Companies.
• The highly trained team of Electrophysiologists have tremendous experience in doing all kind of radiofrequency ablations, device implantations, electrophysiology studies, and pacemaker and resynchronization therapy.
• Computer Navigation Surgery System for excellent outcomes and use of finest quality implants, prosthesis and consumables imported from Leading International Companies.
• Specialized Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation services for quick rehabilitation after cardiac surgery in India.
• India’s leading hospital for children’s heart surgeries performs almost 3 times as many surgeries as Children’s Hospital, Boston, the leading children’s hospital in the USA
  
  

For more information visit:  http://www.medworldindia.com         

                                                           https://www.facebook.com/medworld.india

Please scan and email your medical reports  to us at care@medworldindia.com and we shall get you a Free Medical Opinion from India's Best Doctors.

Call Us : +91-9811058159

Mail Us : care@medworldindia.com

Surgical Treatment of Double Valve Disease - Double Valve Surgery in India

Aortic valve replacement is a procedure in which surgery is used to repair or replace a diseased aortic heart valve.

There are 4 valves in the heart: the Aortic, Mitral, Tricuspid and the Pulmonary valves. These valves are designed to control the direction of blood flow through the heart. The opening and closing of the heart valves produce the sound of the heartbeat.

Aortic valve replacement is open-heart surgery that is done while the patient is under general anesthesia. An incision is made through the breast bone (sternum). Tubes are used to re-route the blood away from the heart to a heart-lung bypass machine to keep the blood oxygenated and circulating while the heart is being operated on.

Heart valve replacement is a surgical procedure during which surgeons remove a damaged valve from the heart and substitute a healthy one.

Purpose

Four valves direct blood to and from the body through the heart: the aortic valve, the pulmonic valve, the tricuspid valve, and the mitral valve. Any of these valves may malfunction because of a birth defect, infection, disease, or trauma. When the malfunction is so severe that it interferes with blood flow, an individual will have heart palpitations, fainting spells, and/or difficulty breathing. These symptoms will progressively worsen and cause death unless the damaged valve is replaced surgically.

Abnormal tricuspid valves usually are not replaced because they do not cause serious symptoms. Mildly or even moderately diseased mitral valves may not need to be replaced because their symptoms are tolerable or they can be treated with such drugs as beta blockers or calcium antagonists, which slow the heart rate. However, a severely diseased mitral valve should be repaired or replaced unless the person is too ill to tolerate the operation because of another condition or illness.

After cutting through and separating the breastbone and ribs, surgeons place the patient on a cardiopulmonary bypass machine, which will perform the functions of the heart and lungs during the operation. They then open the heart and locate the faulty valve. Slicing around the edges of the valve, they loosen it from the tendons that connect it to the rest of the heart and withdraw it. The new valve is inserted and sutured into place. The patient is then taken off the bypass machine and the chest is closed. The surgery takes three to five hours and is covered by most insurance plans.

A patient usually spends one to three days in the hospital intensive care unit (ICU) after heart valve replacement so that the working of his or her heart and circulation can be monitored closely. When first brought to the ICU after surgery, the patient undergoes a neurological examination to be sure he or she has not suffered a stroke. The patient continues to breathe by means of a tube inserted in the trachea at the time of surgery. This mechanical ventilation is not withdrawn until the patient is fully awake from anesthesia, shows signs that he or she can breathe satisfactorily without mechanical support, and has steadfast circulation.

Once stablilized, the patient is transferred to a standard medical/surgical unit where he or she receives drugs that will prevent excess fluid from building up around the heart. As soon as possible, the patient begins walking and exercising to regain strength. He or she is also placed on a diet that is low in salt and cholesterol.

Complications following heart valve replacement are not common, but can be serious. All valves made from animal tissue will develop calcium deposits over time. If these deposits hamper the function of the valve, it must be replaced. Valves may become dislodged. Blood clots may form on the surface of the substitute valve, break off into the general circulation, and become wedged in an artery supplying blood to the brain, kidneys, or legs. These blood clots may cause fainting spells, stroke, kidney failure, or loss of circulation to the legs. These blood clots can be treated with drugs or surgery.

There are three types of replacement valves. One class is made from animal tissue, usually a pig's aortic valve. Another is mechanical and is made of metal and plastic. The third, includes human valves that have been removed from an organ donor or that, rarely, are the patient's own pulmonic valve.

There is no single ideal replacement valve. The choice between an animal valve or a mechanical valve depends largely on the age of the patient. Because valves obtained from animals have a life expectancy of 7-15 years, they usually are given to older patients. Mechanical valves are used in younger patients because they are more durable. Because mechanical valves are made of foreign material, however, blood clots can form on their surface. Therefore, patients who receive these valves must take anticoagulants for the rest of their lives.

Donor or pulmonic valves are given only to those patients who will deteriorate rapidly because of a narrowing of the passageway between the aorta and the left ventrical (aortic stenosis). These valves are limited in their use because of the small supply available from donors and the strain that could be caused by removing and transferring a patient's own pulmonic valve.

Benefits of Heart Valve Replacement Surgery

The most advanced technology for minimally invasive heart surgery is now available in 

India. Robotic da Vinci Surgical System combines superior 3D visualization along with greatly 

enhanced dexterity, precision and control in an intuitive, ergonomic interface with 

breakthrough surgical capabilities.In Robotic Cardiac Surgery, robotic assist the heart 

surgeon in performing surgery through tiny incisions. The surgeon has to sit in an operating 

room where he controls the instruments while looking at 3D images from the camera which 

is inside the patient.

Various procedures can be performed in this case such as mitral valve replacement or repair, 

correction of HOCM etc. Use of Robotic Surgery in Cardiology has benefits as it involves 

less pain, scarring and risk that are otherwise involved. The surgeon can perform surgery 

through tiny openings in the chest, cracking the breastbone and spreading the ribs.

For more information visit:          http://www.medworldindia.com       
                    https://www.facebook.com/medworld.india

Please scan and email your medical reports  to us at care@medworldindia.com and we shall get you a Free Medical Opinion from India’s Best Doctors.

Call Us : +91-9811058159

Mail Us : care@medworldindia.com