Less Invasive Alternative for Heart Valve Repair

Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Wade Knight is offering an alternative to traditional open-heart surgery, which ultimately leads to a faster recovery time and less pain for the patient.

Smaller incisions

"This technique utilizes a less-invasive approach for the repair and replacement of heart valves," he said. "With a smaller incision, I have access to the valves without having to directly handle the rest of the heart. This procedure is easier on the patient, has good outcomes and results in the patient using fewer blood products."

A beneficial option

While not all patients are candidates for the less-invasive procedure, it can be a beneficial option for those looking to avoid the traditional large median sternotomy incision for open-heart surgery.

"This procedure has shown positive results for us, and Scott & White successfully performs over 100 valve surgeries each year," Dr. Knight added.

There are many different types of heart valve disease, many of which can be repaired through valve repair surgery, versus a complete replacement.

Heart valve disease

Heart valve disease occurs when a valve does not work right, with narrowing or leakage of the valve. This prevents the blood from moving through the chambers of the heart the way it should, meaning the heart must work harder to pump the same amount of blood. This can lead to chest pain, shortness of breath or dizziness. If left untreated, it could lead to heart failure.

For more information on this procedure, or to see how the Scott & White Heart and Vascular Institute can help you, please call 254-724-4910.

What is valve replacement?

Valve replacement involves replacing the faulty heart valve with a prosthetic (artificial) valve. This may be a mechanical or a biological valve (made from human or animal tissue). Mechanical valves have the advantage of lasting a lifetime. However, they require the patient to take blood thinning drugs for the rest of their life, which can increase the risk of bleeding in the body. This can be especially serious if it happens in the brain (this is called a haemorrhagic stroke). Biologic valves have the advantage of being more like a normal human heart valve, not requiring long-term use of anticoagulants.

What is valve repair

Heart valve repair is a surgical procedure used to correct a malfunctioning heart valve. The mitral valve usually can be repaired by using the patient's own valve tissue to correct the abnormal valve.

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