Heart Surgery: Replacement of Heart Valves
The heart is the first organ to develop in humans, it is the person in charge of the circulation of blood. At the level of the heart, there are 4 large valves which are the aortic valve, the pulmonary valve, the tricuspid valve and the mitral valve. In many cases, these valves do not function in a normal way, for example they do not open enough (valve narrowing) or they do not close hermetically (valvular insufficiency). In these cases, then, we are talking about valvuloplasties that require surgery (replacement of heart valves).
Replacing a heart valve: what is it?
This replacement is a technique used for a long time whose purpose is the treatment of sick valves. The operation involves removing the infected valve and replacing it with a new biological or mechanical valve.
Biological heart valves: they are made from the tissue of a cow (cow) or pig (pig) or can come from donors (homograft). These valves must be replaced again after 15 years.
Mechanical heart valves: They are made of a prosthetic material and do not need to be replaced.
Procedure of the valve replacement operation
Replacement of heart valves is a delicate surgical procedure that requires a lot of preparation before the day of the operation. Generally, each patient should stop smoking a few months before the operation, and stop taking some medications like aspirin. Thus, an appointment with the surgeon, blood tests, X-rays and physical examinations are mandatory to determine the patient's state of health. The procedure can last between 3 and 6 hours, under general anesthesia.
During the operation, the surgeon opens the chest to access the heart and the sick valve. At this point, the heart is stopped momentarily (the patient is under extracorporeal circulation). Once the valve is replaced, the operation is finished, the patient stays between 24 hours and 48 hours at the Intensive Care Unit under control and will be transferred to another room. Although surgeons use very advanced techniques, there is always the risk of infection, bleeding. Our professionals are very experienced with these situations and are good at managing them.
Price of a valvuloplasty surgery in Turkey and Istanbul
Turquie Santé allows you to compare the offers of specialized clinics in valve replacement surgeries, while discussing with well experienced Turkish doctors. However, you can request an appointment from a distance.
We negotiate for you competitive prices for the change of a heart valve.
Last update : 28/03/2020
