Heart valves act as one-way gates, keeping blood moving through the chambers of the heart in the correct direction. When one or more of these valves become diseased or damaged, it can restrict blood flow or cause blood to leak backward, straining the heart muscle.
Common Valve Problems
The two primary types of valve diseases are:
- Stenosis (Narrowing): The valve flaps become stiff or fused, reducing the opening and forcing the heart to work much harder to pump blood through it.
- Regurgitation (Leaking): The valve flaps do not close tightly, allowing blood to leak backward. This means the heart must re-pump that blood, reducing overall efficiency.
Valve Repair
Whenever medically possible, preserving the patient's natural valve is preferred. Valve repair surgery aims to correct structural issues (such as reshaping valve leaflets, repairing supportive chords, or reinforcing the valve ring) without using an artificial replacement. Repair is associated with a lower risk of infection and often removes the need for lifelong blood-thinning medications.
Valve Replacement
If a valve is too severely damaged to repair, it must be replaced with a prosthetic valve. There are two main types of replacement valves:
- Mechanical Valves: Made of durable materials (like carbon and titanium). They can last a lifetime but require the patient to take blood-thinning medications (anticoagulants) every day to prevent clots.
- Biological (Bioprosthetic) Valves: Made from animal tissue (cows or pigs). They do not require long-term blood thinners, but they generally wear out over 10 to 15 years and may eventually require replacement.