Heart valve surgery can be performed by reconstructing the heart valve, avoiding the use of artificial prostheses. The postoperative recovery of the patient is much faster and the complications that may arise are reduced.
Heart valves are complex structures whose function is to open and close in a coordinated manner so that blood circulates in the correct direction. There are 4: aortic valve, mitral valve, tricuspid valve and pulmonary valve. All of them can be affected by different pathologies in the form of stenosis (obstruction to flow) or insufficiency (inability to close properly).
The anomalies in the cardiac valves can be solved without having to replace them with artificial prostheses. In cases of valve insufficiency, we can perform a repair or conservative surgery of the patient’s own valve. In cases of stenosis, we can open the valve itself (commissurotomy), replace it with human tissue (homografts) or perform the Ross Operation.
Repair of heart valves
By preserving the valve itself, we often avoid the patient having to take anticoagulants (Sintrom®) for life and we preserve the architecture and function of the heart. Postoperative recovery is faster and complications are much less frequent.
Although it is not always possible to repair the heart valves. In mitral insufficiency problems, we can repair it with guarantees and good long-term results, almost 100% of the valves. In cases of aortic insufficiency the percentage is approximately 50-60%.
Decreases the risk
At present, heart surgery can be performed with a very low risk (1-2%). The risk is variable for each patient and depends on age, cardiac pathology, contractile function of the heart and the presence of other added pathologies (renal failure, previous embolisms, etc…).
Ross operation
The Ross operation is used in young patients with aortic valve problems. It consists of replacing the diseased aortic valve with the patient’s own pulmonary valve. In the pulmonary position we implant a cryopreserved pulmonary homograft. The results are very good, the patient does not have to take anticoagulants and can lead a full and totally normal life.