• What happens during traditional heart valve surgery?
• What if my valves cannot be repaired?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type of valve?
• Are there non-surgical options for valve disease?
• What happens during balloon valvuloplasty?
• What happens after the procedure?
• Does balloon valvuloplasty cure valve disease?

Diseased heart valves can be treated both surgically (traditional heart valve surgery) and non-surgically (balloon valvuloplasty).

What Happens During Traditional Heart Valve Surgery?

During traditional heart valve surgery, a surgeon will make an incision down the center of your sternum (breastbone) to get direct access to your heart. Often, the surgeon and cardiologist (heart doctor) will use a probe that is passed down the esophagus to help determine the functioning of the valve before and after surgery. If your valve can be repaired, your surgeon will perform any of the following types of valve repair procedures.

• Commissurotomy. Fused valve leaflets are separated to widen the valve opening.
• Decalcification. Calcium deposits are removed to allow the leaflets to be more flexible and close properly.
• Reshape leaflets. If one of the leaflets is floppy, and bows back into the left atrium, a segment may be cut out and the leaflet sewed back together, allowing the valve to close more tightly.
• Repair of chordae or papillary muscles. If the chordae or papillary muscles are torn or stretched out, they will not give the valve leaflets support. The surgeon may transfer or shorten the chordae to the correct length to provide support for the leaflet, allowing the valve to seal tightly.
• Annulus support. If the valve annulus (the ring of tissue supporting the valve) is too wide, it may be reshaped or tightened by stitches or sewing a ring structure to the annulus. The ring may be made of tissue or synthetic material.
• Patched leaflets. The surgeon may patch any leaflets with tears or holes with tissue patches.

From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com

Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP) - Learn about mitral valve prolapse (MVP), the most common heart valve abnormality. Symptoms include fatigue, palpitations, chest pain, anxiety, and migraine headaches from the doctors at MedicineNet.com. Source:MedicineNet Aortic Stenosis - Learn about aortic valve stenosis, an abnormal narrowing of the aortic valve in the heart. Symptoms include chest pain, fainting, and shortness of breath. In some patients, the first symptom is sudden death. Read about the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of this condition. Source:MedicineNet Heart Valve Disease - When the hearts valves do not work as they should, the primary diagnosis is valvular heart disease. There are several situations where this can occur. Source:WebMD Medical Reference from The Cleveland Clinic Read 10 more Heart Valve Disease Treatment related articles ... So Much to Do, So Little Sleep Head Injuries All Too Common in Summer Play Health Tip: The Word on Wisdom Teeth Health Tip: Make Exercise a Daily Habit New Source of Heart Stem Cells Found Health Highlights: June 23, 2008 Poorer Patients Have Poorer Survival After Cancer Diagnosis One Gene May Be Key to Myeloma Crocodile Babies Cry Out for Hatching Immune Molecule Key to Preventing Organ Rejection