In our current era, especially in industrialized countries, the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases are carried out reliably with the help of high-tech devices. As a result, the average human lifespan is getting longer. However, despite all these developments, the incidence of heart diseases is increasing in our country and around the world. In recent years, the incidence of hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure or heart valve diseases has been quite high in developed countries, and heart diseases continue to be the most common cause of death.
Heart valve diseases can develop due to many factors. There may be congenital problems with the heart valves, or the heart valves may become damaged later on. In developing countries, upper respiratory tract infections during childhood affect the heart valves and cause valve disorders in adulthood. In more developed countries, problems related to aging and aging of the lids occur in older ages.
The following steps are applied in the diagnosis process of heart valve diseases;
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Taking the patient's history
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Evaluating the symptoms experienced
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Limitations in lifestyle
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Other diseases accompanying heart disease
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General physical examination of the patient
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Evaluation of rheumatic fever prophylaxis
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ECG (electrocardiogram)
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Lung film
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ECHO
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Angiography . After the age of 40 for men and after the age of 45 for women.
In addition to the above, examinations such as cardiac MRI, computed tomography, fluoroscopy, radionuclide angiography may also need to be performed during the diagnosis of heart valve diseases.
What are Heart Valve Diseases?
Valves in the heart; They are called aortic, mitral, pulmonary and tricuspid. Narrowing or inadequate functioning of these valves causes other serious diseases in the heart organ and significantly affects the general health status of the patient. Other diseases accompanying heart valve diseases The leading causes are heart rhythm disorders and coronary artery diseases.
What are the Heart Valve Surgery Methods?
In the treatment of heart valve diseases, surgical treatment methods are used when stenosis or insufficiency cannot be controlled with medication. It can be decided after a detailed diagnosis process which of the surgical treatment methods based on the discipline of heart valve repair or heart valve replacement (replacement) should be applied.
Heart Valve Repair
Repairing the dysfunctional valve with surgical methods in heart valve diseases is our preferred method. We always prioritize the repair option, especially in mitral valve diseases and tricuspid valve diseases. In this case, the patient does not use any prosthesis and can survive with his own heart valve. At the same time, one does not have to use blood thinners. In cases where the covers are severely deteriorated or damaged, replacement of the cover should be preferred.
Heart Valve Replacement
Heart valve replacement is the process of placing a biological or mechanical heart valve instead of the patient's inadequate heart valve. In this process, valves taken from animals such as cattle and pigs, which are close to the anatomy of the human heart, are used as biological valves. There is no need to use any blood thinners after the surgery. However, after the application of biological valve replacement, the valve placed may become deformed over the years and a new surgical procedure may be required.
In mechanical valve replacement surgery, a specially designed mechanical heart valve is placed instead of the patient's inadequate heart valve. These valves do not cause any problems in terms of durability, but require the constant use of blood thinners.
How is Heart Valve Surgeries Performed?
Heart valve surgeries, like every surgical procedure, have become very popular in previous years. It was a procedure with major risk factors. For this reason, many patients were afraid of treatment and their heart valve problems became much more serious.& nbsp;
Minimally Invasive Heart Valve Surgery
Minimally invasive surgery is a method used today in the treatment of heart diseases and other surgical applications. Over the years, surgical procedures have become possible with smaller incisions, faster times and less bleeding. The standard method, especially in cardiac surgery, is to perform surgery by opening the frontal bone of the chest. These surgeries can be performed with a small incision under the armpit, which we have used in recent years. In the TAVI method, which we use especially in aortic valve surgery, the valve is placed on a catheter and sent to the heart through a small incision in the groin, and the valve is inserted.
Armpit Heart Valve Surgery
We perform almost all heart valve surgeries with the armpit technique. Heart valve repair or heart valve replacement is performed by entering the heart through a small incision under the armpit and reaching the heart. With this technique, it is also possible to intervene in the mitral, tricuspid and aortic valve separately or all at the same time.
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