Valve Repair

Blood is pumped through your heart in only one direction. Heart valves play a key role in this one-way blood flow, opening and closing with each heartbeat. Pressure changes on either side of the valves cause them to open their flap-like “doors” (called cusps or leaflets) at just the right time, then close tightly to prevent a backflow of blood.

There are 4 valves in the heart:
  • Tricuspid valve
  • Pulmonary valve
  • Mitral valve
  • Aortic valve
Nearly all of these operations are done to repair or replace the mitral or aortic valves. These valves are on the left side of the heart, which works harder than the right. They control the flow of oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the rest of the body.

If valve damage is mild, doctors may be able to treat it with medicines. If damage to the valve is severe, surgery to repair or replace the valve may be needed.

What is valve repair?

Valve repair can usually be done on congenital valve defects (defects you are born with) or myxomatous lesions and has a good success record with treating mitral valve defects.

Here are some procedures surgeons may use to repair a valve:

  • Commissurotomy, which is used for narrowed valves, where the leaflets are thickened and perhaps stuck together. The surgeon opens the valve by cutting the points where the leaflets meet.
  • Valvuloplasty, which strengthens the leaflets to provide more support and to let the valve close tightly. This support comes from a ring-like device that surgeons attach around the outside of the valve opening.
  • Reshaping, where the surgeon cuts out a section of a leaflet. Once the leaflet is sewn back together, the valve can close properly.
  • Decalcification, which removes calcium buildup from the leaflets. Once the calcium is removed, the leaflets can close properly.
  • Repair of structural support, which replaces or shortens the cords that give the valves support (these cords are called the chordae tendineae and the papillary muscles). When the cords are the right length, the valve can close properly.
  • Patching, where the surgeon covers holes or tears in the leaflets with a tissue patch.