When there is severe narrowing of the aortic heart valve, replacement surgery can help improve the symptoms of this condition, such as fatigue, fainting, and shortness of breath.
This type of surgery can also improve a person's life expectancy. In this procedure, the doctor will perform surgery to remove a diseased or defective aortic heart valve and replace it with a manufactured or tissue valve.
Once the anesthesia takes effect, the surgeon makes an incision down the chest and separates the breastbone. The patient then receives blood-thinning medicine and is connected to a heart-lung bypass machine, which supplies the body with oxygen during the procedure. The surgeon opens the aorta and carefully removes the old aortic heart valve; the replacement valve is then sewn into place.
As with any surgery, there are problems that can occur. Examples of complications that may occur with this procedure include:
(Click Aortic Valve Replacement Surgery for a more complete description of this heart surgery, including details about the process of being removed from the bypass machine and completion of the surgery.)
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