ABOUT AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT SURGERY
As I personally experienced a few years ago, an aortic valve replacement is a complex, surgical procedure to implant a mechanical or biological heart valve in exchange for a diseased aortic valve within the human heart muscle.
There are several heart valve defects which stimulate the need for aortic valve replacement. However, the two most common reasons why patients need to replace their aortic valve are (i) blood flow is constricted across a narrowed heart valve (aortic stenosis) or (ii) blood flow is leaking back into heart (aortic regurgitation).
As a result of severe stenosis or regurgitation, the aortic valve must be replaced. Otherwise, future heart complications (enlarged heart muscle, congestive heart failure) can occur due to the strain on the cardiac muscle.
Aortic valve replacement surgery may also be needed if the heart valve leaflets have become damaged due to aortic valve calcification, a congenital bicuspid aortic valve, or other forms of aortic valve disease.
AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT DEVICES
Prior to aortic valve replacement surgery, the patient, along with his / her family and surgeon, will select a replacement aortic valve that may be mechanical (artificial) or biological (tissue-based). Aortic mechanical replacement valves are constructed from very durable metals, polymers, and other materials.
Biological tissue valves used in aortic valve replacement surgery consist of donated human tissue, animal tissue (pigs, cows) or the patient's own valve (via the Ross Procedure).
There are advantages and disadvantages associated with each form of valve replacement. Your doctor will be able to help recommend the appropriate, aortic valve replacement given several risk factors including your health, diagnosis and age.
AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT OPTIONS
Like most heart valve operations, aortic valve surgery is typically an "open heart" procedure performed by heart surgeons, also known as cardiothoracic surgeons.
Traditional aortic valve replacement surgeries require the breast bone (sternum) to be split down the middle using a procedure known as as a median sternotomy. This provides the surgeon with full access to the heart and chest cavity.
However, new minimally invasive procedures are being developed and used with patients - including "mini-sternotomy" and cathether-based approaches. Such non-invasive procedures for aortic valve replacements have seen encouraging results as the chestplate is not or partially broken therefore accelerating recovery.
One additional option for patients to consider is the Ross Procedure. In this unique form of aortic valve replacement surgery, the patient's own pulmonary valve is used to replace the defective aortic valve. Then, the surgeon uses a homograft valve (from a human donor) and inserts it into the pulmonary position.
 My Personal Story With Aortic Valve Replacement? I was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis and regurgitation in 2005. Eight weeks later, both my aortic valve and pulmonary valve were replaced by Dr. Vaughn Starnes in Los Angeles, California.
Interestingly enough, the real challenge of aortic valve replacement was not the surgery... It was the recovery.
>> NEXT: To learn more about aortic valve replacement surgery, including what happens before, during and after surgery, please click here. 
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