Heart; It is the basic organ that ensures that all organs in the body are supplied with oxygen and thus continue to function in a healthy way. Heart problems; Although it significantly affects the general health status of the patient, it can shorten the life expectancy. For this reason, heart problems must be diagnosed early and qualified treatment planning must be created in every period of life, including newborns.
Before touching on the subject of heart valve surgery, it is necessary to obtain some information about the anatomical structure of the heart. Heart; Structurally, it consists of 4 chambers. Between these chambers there are structures called valves. Heart valves establish the connection between the chambers and allow blood to pass in one direction, preventing it from flowing backwards.
What Do Heart Valves Do?
Heart valves; In addition to providing the connection between the chambers in the heart; It is also a factor in cleansing the blood that has used up oxygen and returns to the lungs, called dirty blood, and reenters the circulatory system.
Mitral and aortic valves located in the left chambers of the heart; While it ensures that clean blood spreads throughout the body, the tricuspid and pulmonary valves in the right chambers of the heart ensure that the oxygenated, dirty blood is carried to the lungs for oxygenation.
What are the Symptoms of Heart Valve Diseases?
Heart valve diseases can occur in every period of human life. This problem can cause some complaints in daily life. Symptoms of heart valve diseases can be listed as follows;
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Fatigue and weakness easily
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Experiencing shortness of breath
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Edema formation in the lower extremities (legs)
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Fluid accumulation in the lungs
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Heart rhythm disorders
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Clotting
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Stroke/stroke
Symptoms of heart valve diseases other It may be similar to the symptoms of many diseases. Therefore, it is recommended that patients consult a cardiovascular surgeon if they experience the above symptoms. This However, patients who have a family history of heart disease or have had heart problems before need to act much more carefully and carefully.
Treatment of heart valve diseases can be performed by surgical methods. However, first of all, heart valve disease must be diagnosed in a qualified manner. Heart valve diseases can develop in different ways.
Heart Valve Surgeries
In heart valve diseases, the main pathology is heart valve failure and valve stenosis. These may occur separately, or stenosis and insufficiency may occur together in the same valve. If heart valve disease is neglected, it also causes damage to the heart muscle and vessels. In very late cases, surgery may even become impossible. Therefore, the diagnosis of heart valve diseases should not be delayed and appropriate treatment planning should be carried out, taking into account the patient's general health condition, age and lifestyle.
Surgical methods in heart valve diseases; It is based on the disciplines of valve repair or valve replacement. At this stage, the surgeon decides whether the patient's problematic valve needs to be replaced or repaired, as a result of all the examinations and finally during the surgery.
Heart Valve Replacements
Heart valve replacement surgeries are used in patients with heart valve diseases where heart valve repair is not possible. These surgeries; It is based on the discipline of removing the patient's problematic heart valves by surgical methods and replacing them with a biological or mechanical heart valve.
Mechanical valve surgery for heart valve replacements: After the surgery, the patient may need to use some blood-thinning medications throughout his life. However, there is almost no need to replace the mechanical cover again in the future.
Biological valve surgery for heart valve replacements: Today, biological valves such as cattle, pigs or humans are generally used. The biological heart valve placed on the patient is also defined as a bioprosthesis. Patients with bioprosthetic valves should not use blood thinners. There is no need for them to believe it. However, as a disadvantage, deformation may occur in biological valves over the years. As a result, the patient may need to undergo surgery again.
Heart Valve Repair
The primary option in the surgical treatment of heart valve problems is heart valve repair. We use repair techniques as the first choice, especially in mitral and tricuspid valve surgery. As a result of the developments in technology and cardiac surgery and the increasing experience of us surgeons in this field, very good results have been obtained in valve repairs in recent years. In heart surgery; The rule that the best valve is the patient's own valve applies. As a final decision in the examinations and surgery, the process of repairing the valve while protecting it should be pushed to the end.
During the diagnosis process before heart valve repair surgery; Methods such as echocardiography and transesophageal ECHO are used.
The most important point in heart valve repair surgeries; is the timing of surgery. The reason for this is; The patient's heart enlargement, heart valve insufficiency (problem of leaking back blood) and narrowing problems need to be evaluated in a qualified manner.
We perform heart valve repair surgeries using the armpit method. Before heart valve repair, the patient is evaluated in detail; Surgery planning is carried out by taking into account information such as age and weight, whether the patient smokes or not, and whether he or she has any infections (especially in the teeth).
After heart valve repair surgery, the patient should pay attention to his lifestyle and the precautions to be taken to keep his immune system strong.
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