Heart valve surgery is used to repair or replace diseased heart valves.

There are four valves in your heart:

1. Aortic valve
2. Mitral valve
3. Tricuspid valve
4. Pulmonary valve

The valves control the direction of blood flow through your heart. The opening and closing of the heart valves produce the sound of the heartbeat.

Heart valve surgery is open-heart surgery that is done while you are under general anesthesia. A cut is made through the breast bone (sternum). Your blood is routed away from your heart to a heart-lung bypass machine. This machine keeps the blood circulating while your heart is being operated on.

Valves may be repaired or replaced. Replacement heart valves are either natural (biologic) or artificial (mechanical):

• Natural valves are from human donors (cadavers).
• Modified natural valves come from animal donors. (Porcine valves are from pigs, bovine are from cows.) These are placed in synthetic rings.
• Artificial valves are made of metal.

If you receive an artificial valve, you may need to take lifelong medication to prevent blood clots. Natural valves rarely require lifelong medication.

Heart valve surgery may be recommended for the following conditions:

• Narrowing of the heart valve (stenosis)
• Leaking of the heart valve (regurgitation)

Valve problems may be caused by:

• Birth defects
• Calcium deposits (calcification)
• Infections such as rheumatic fever
• Medications

Defective valves may cause congestive heart failure and infections (infective endocarditis).