Heart Valve Surgery

Heart valve surgery is used to repair or replace diseased heart valves.
There are 4 valves in your heart:

Aortic valve

Mitral valve

Tricuspid valve

Pulmonic valve

If your valve is too damaged, you will need a new valve. This is called valve replacement surgery. Your surgeon will remove your valve and put a new one in place. The main types of new valves are:

Mechanical -- made of man-made materials, such as metal (stainless steel or titanium) or ceramic. These valves last the longest, but you will need to take blood-thinning medicine, such as warfarin (Coumadin) or aspirin, for the rest of your life.

Biological -- made of human or animal tissue. These valves last 12 to 15 years, but you may not need to take blood thinners for life.

Implanting a Tissue Valve

A artificial Metallic Valve Seen Inside the Heart

A Destroyed Tissue Valve which has been explanted