Adam’s Heart Valve Surgery Blog

I just received a question from Jane that reads, “How complex is aortic valve replacement?”

It is a great question. In fact, I remember having the exact same thought when I was diagnosed with critical aortic stenosis. The more I learned about aortic valve replacement, the more I realized that open heart surgery is incredibly complex.

If you think about the core processes involved in cardiac bypass surgery, it is quite incredible. First, the sternum is split to provide the surgeon access to the thorax (chest cavity). As the Cleveland Clnic suggests, “During traditional aortic valve surgery, a surgeon makes a 6- to 8-inch incision down the center of your sternum, and part or all of the sternum (breastbone) is divided to provide direct access to your heart.”

Then, the heart is cooled and stopped as the lungs cease activity.

Simultaneously, the heart-lung machine (shown above) is activated to simulates the functioning of your heart and lungs so that the cardiothoracic surgeon can best operate as the patient’s organs are still.

As The Keck School of Medicine at USC suggests, “During valve surgery, your heart must not beat. To keep your blood flowing, it is passed through a heart-lung machine. This machine gives oxygen to your blood and pumps the blood back through your body. Your surgeon may choose to connect your body to the machine through the vessels in your heart or through vessels in your groin.”

The complex nature of aortic valve replacement varies from there. Some patients will be fitted with mechanical heart valves manufactured by Edwards, St. Jude or Medtronic. Some patients will receive tissue valves (pig, cow).

Ultimately, the most complex aortic valve replacement is the Ross Procedure. Also known as the switch procedure, the patient’s pulmonary valve is removed and inserted in the aortic position. Then, a homograft (human donor valve) is used in the pulmonary position. (This is the operation I had.)

Once the diseased heart valve has been replaced, this complex procedure continues. The heart, lungs and body is warmed (to prevent pumphead). Then, the heart is provided with an electric current to reactivate the cardiac muscle and assume the responsibility of pushing blood throughout the body.

As I personally experienced, aortic valve replacement is quite complex and quite extraordinary. Similar to any surgery there are heart valve surgery complications and risk associated with this procedure. However, the leading cardiac care centers have been successful in significantly reducing that risk over the past twenty years.

I hope this helps explain the complexity of aortic valve replacement.

Keep on tickin!

Adam Pick is a double heart valve replacement patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery, a unique book which integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of an actual heart valve surgery patient.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, April 27th, 2008 at 9:50 am and is filed under Heart Valve Surgery. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Print This Post | EMail This Post.