Pulmonary valve replacement surgery can be performed for its severe insufficiency, which causes clinical symptoms and impairs heart function. This is usually an open surgery. Much less often, a bioprosthesis is implanted through a percutaneous approach through blood vessels (doctors make only a small incision in the groin).
Content
- Who may need pulmonary valve replacement surgery?
- How is pulmonary valve replacement surgery performed?
This is usually an open-heart surgical procedure that is performed using a heart-lung machine and a thoracotomy. Revision surgery to replace a worn-out bioprosthesis is often performed using a minimally invasive endovascular technique.
You can seek medical attention at the University Hospital Essen, the University Hospital Oldenburg, or the University Hospital Ulm.
You are welcome to leave your request on the Booking Health website. We will contact you, help you find the most suitable clinic, and then arrange your trip. Our specialists will find a hotel near the medical center for you, translate your medical records into English or German, meet you at the airport abroad, and take you to the hospital by car. During the treatment process, your personal medical coordinator will be in touch with you for any questions that may arise.
Who may need pulmonary valve replacement surgery?
Heart valve replacement surgery is a technique for treating pulmonary valve insufficiency that can be used in the following cases:
- onset of symptoms;
- severe valvular insufficiency;
- right ventricular failure;
- right ventricular enlargement.
Elective surgery can also be offered to patients if symptoms are absent during rest but manifest themselves during exercise stress testing.
Pulmonary valve replacement surgery is the main treatment for pulmonary valve insufficiency, while pulmonary valve repair is used much less frequently.
How is pulmonary valve replacement surgery performed?
Pulmonary valve replacement is usually an open surgery. It is performed with a thoracotomy. Cardiosurgery doctors implant an artificial endoprosthesis in place of the patient's own pulmonary valve.
Mechanical prostheses are not placed in this position, even though the majority of patients with pulmonary valve disease are young adults and children. Although mechanical prostheses last a long time, the risk of blood clots is too high due to the relatively slow blood flow in this area of the cardiovascular system. Anticoagulants alone do not reduce the risks to acceptable levels.
Only biological valves can be placed in the pulmonary position. In adult patients, they last 15 to 30 years. In children, the survival of prostheses is worse as the heart valves degrade faster and the blood vessels inside which they are located are constantly increasing in diameter. The service life of bioprostheses is therefore 10-15 years, and in 20% of children, the artificial heart valve wears out in less than 5 years.
Most patients require revision heart valve replacement surgery after a few years or decades. In modern cardiosurgery departments abroad, it is performed using minimally invasive techniques, that is, from inside the blood vessels, to reduce the trauma rate, lower the risk of complications, and reduce the recovery time of patients.
You can go abroad to undergo your operation with good results and minimal health risks. The Booking Health website presents the best hospitals with cardiosurgery departments. On our website, you can find the surgical treatment cost at different clinics, compare prices, and make your treatment appointment at an affordable price. The specialists from the Booking Health company will help you select a Heart Surgery Center with high success rates for this operation.
Authors:
The article was edited by medical experts, board-certified doctors Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova and Dr. Vadim Zhiliuk. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!
Sources:
ECR - European Cardiology Review
American College of Cardiology
Healthline