Heart Valve Repair and Replacement

Which treatment option is right for you?

Choosing the right treatment option is extremely important and depends on many factors. It’s a decision that you should make in close cooperation with your doctor. Some of the factors you will need to consider when choosing a treatment option include:

The benefits and risks of each type of treatment
Your age
Your specific medical condition
Other medications you may be taking
Your lifestyle needs and goals

Surgical Valve Repair

When possible, it is often preferable to surgically repair the patient’s valve rather than to replace it with a prosthetic device. Valve repair usually involves the surgeon modifying the tissue or underlying structures of the mitral or tricuspid valve and implanting an annuloplasty ring or band. Aortic valves are rarely repaired.

Read more about Edwards valve repair products

Surgical Valve Replacement

If the diseased native heart valve cannot be repaired, the surgeon may choose to replace it. The first step is to remove the diseased valve and then implant a prosthetic valve in its place. Prosthetic valves used to replace the heart’s natural valves come in different sizes to fit the patient and are made from a variety of materials.

There are two main types of prosthetic heart valves:

Tissue (bioprosthetic) valves - made primarily from animal tissue [i.e., bovine pericardium (the sac surrounding a cow’s heart), a pig’s aortic (porcine) valve or human valves from cadavers]
Mechanical valves – created from synthetic (man-made) materials