HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM BlogQuestions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction

Faulty Heart Valve. A Relative Has Been Diagnosed With A Faulty

Faulty heart valve. A relative has been diagnosed with a faulty?
heart valve, and needs an operation. She is 77 years old. Can anyone with accurate info. tell me what the procedure entails, and what the risks are please. Please no silly or ill informed answers.
Mon, 14 Dec 2009
Report Abuse
  User's Response
's  Response
Replacing a valve in the heart involves open heart surgery. First the surgeon saws through the patients sternum to expose the heart. Then, the surgeon places a cannula into the aorta and connects the cannula to the heart lung machine. Then a second cannula is placed into the right atrium of the heart. this cannula is used to draw blood away from the heart and towards the heart lung machine. The blood then travels through an oxygenator so that the blood can be oxygenated. (Thus the name heart-lung machine). Then the blood travels back towards the patient through the aortic cannula and through the patients body. Then the heart is stopped using a cardioplegia solution that contains a high concentration of potassium. The heart-lung machine delivers this solution to the heart and causes the heart to stop beating. The heart-lung machine continues to circulate the blood to keep the patient alive. The surgeon then opens the heart and replaces the valve with either a mechanical valve or a tissue valve. Then heart is the closed up, the heart is allowed to start beating again and then the person is weaned off the heart-lung machine. The risks are death, stroke and organ failure. However, these surgeries are done routinely and with considerable success. The surgery from start to finish is about 3-5 hours.
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer. For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service [Sample answer]
Share on
 

Related questions you may be interested in


Recent questions on Cardiac surgery


Loading Online Doctors....
Faulty Heart Valve. A Relative Has Been Diagnosed With A Faulty

Replacing a valve in the heart involves open heart surgery. First the surgeon saws through the patients sternum to expose the heart. Then, the surgeon places a cannula into the aorta and connects the cannula to the heart lung machine. Then a second cannula is placed into the right atrium of the heart. this cannula is used to draw blood away from the heart and towards the heart lung machine. The blood then travels through an oxygenator so that the blood can be oxygenated. (Thus the name heart-lung machine). Then the blood travels back towards the patient through the aortic cannula and through the patients body. Then the heart is stopped using a cardioplegia solution that contains a high concentration of potassium. The heart-lung machine delivers this solution to the heart and causes the heart to stop beating. The heart-lung machine continues to circulate the blood to keep the patient alive. The surgeon then opens the heart and replaces the valve with either a mechanical valve or a tissue valve. Then heart is the closed up, the heart is allowed to start beating again and then the person is weaned off the heart-lung machine. The risks are death, stroke and organ failure. However, these surgeries are done routinely and with considerable success. The surgery from start to finish is about 3-5 hours.