Benefits and Risks of Heart Valve Surgery

If you’re eligible for heart valve surgery, there’s a chance your mitral valve disease or aortic valve disease is at a serious level; you cannot ignore the disease when it is this severe, and medication will not be able to manage the damage or the symptoms you’re experiencing. Talk to a heart valve surgeon about the surgery and find out if you are a good candidate for it. Find out what type of heart valve surgery is the best for your current condition. Be armed with many questions for your doctor. Surgery is a big deal, and it’s important to be an informed patient.

Surgery can be scary, but it can also save your life. As with any surgery, there are benefits and risks to both mitral valve and aortic valve surgery (TAVR, mini-AVR). For this article, we want to share with you some of the benefits and risks of this surgery to help you have a better idea of what is involved.

Minimally-Invasive Heart Valve Surgery Benefits

• Quicker, more comfortable surgery compared to open-heart surgery
• Tiny scar(s), which are usually hidden
• Minimal pain post-op
• Fewer wound infections, complications
• Short hospital stay
• Fast turnaround back to normal daily activities
• Restored strength and energy
• Longer life
• Preservation of heart function
• Longer durability on repairs over replacements
• Lower risk of stroke and infection
• No need to use blood thinners
• Lifestyle will improve due to a healthier heart

 

Minimally-Invasive Heart Valve Surgery Risks

• Blood clots and blood leakage around the valve
• Inflammation of the heart lining (endocarditis)
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Irregular heartbeat
• Breathing complications
• Infections in heart valves, chest, bladder, kidneys, lungs or other areas of the body
• Damage to other organs, nerves, or bones
• Kidney failure
• Wounds not healing properly
• Death

As stated above, there are benefits and risk with ANY type of surgery. The best option for most patients with severe mitral valve disease or aortic valve disease is surgery, as medications cannot repair the valve. Valve repair (if possible) is often better than replacement because it provides better heart function, a lower risk of complications, a longer lifespan, and doesn’t require the life-long use of blood thinners. Tampa heart valve surgeon, Dr. Peter Mikhail, discusses all benefits and risks of heart valve surgery with his patients.

If you have a history of heart disease in your family or currently suffer from heart disease, it’s time to talk to a heart valve surgeon. Dr. Peter Mikhail is a heart valve surgeon who specializes in mitral valve surgery and TAVR. To book a consult, click our heart valve surgery page or call 727-312-4844. He is based in New Port Richey, Florida, and treats patients in the Tampa and Clearwater.