Valve Surgery
The heart has four valves — the aortic valve, mitral valve, tricuspid valve, and
pulmonary valve — that work together to maintain the proper forward flow of
blood through the heart and lungs. Sometimes valves do not open (stenosis) or
close (insufficiency or regurgitation) properly and need to be repaired or replaced.
This may occur as a result of the normal aging process, an abnormality that was
present at birth, or an illness such as rheumatic heart disease, lupus, a heart attack,
or an infection.
Repairing a Valve
Your surgeon may trim,
shape, or rebuild one or
more of the little flaps
called leaflets, which
open and close the valve.
Or the surgeon may sew
a ring of metal, cloth, or
tissue around the ringlike part around the valve
to repair it.
Replacing a Valve
The material used to
replace the valve can be
either biological, from
tissue such as pig, cow,
or human, or mechanical,
made from metal or
ceramic materials.
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