When a heart valve becomes thickened and narrowed (stenosis), blood flow is restricted and the heart function is impaired. Long-standing insufficiency can also permanently damage a valve. The aortic and mitral valves are the most common valves that require replacement.
During valve replacement surgery, the damaged valve is removed. A prosthetic valve is inserted and secured in place with small stitches. There are three main types of prosthetic valves used for replacement. Mechanical valves are made from carbonized metal and require daily anticoagulation, or blood-thinning medication. Tissue valves are formed from cow or pig tissue and do not require daily anticoagulation. Valves can also be transplanted from another human donor, known as a homograft valve.
Valve replacement is best performed before the heart becomes permanently damaged from the strain of the diseased valve. Less invasive operations such as minithoracotomy for aortic or mitral valve replacement are suitable for certain patients. Surgeons at Intermountain Medical Center are the leaders in research for improved prosthetic valves as well as investigative trials for less invasive and transcatheter-based valve replacement.