Heart valve disease: When is surgery needed?

Common heart valve diseases include valvular regurgitation, valvular stenosis, etc. Most heart valve problems can be treated with medication or surgical intervention. Depending on the cause, symptoms of the disease and how much it affects the contractile function of the heart, the doctor may prescribe surgical treatment accordingly.

The heart valve system is a structural system that ensures blood flows between the chambers of the heart according to a certain cycle. However, it is possible for a certain cause to damage the heart valves, leading to heart valve disease. The heart valve system includes the mitral valve, the tricuspid valve, the aortic valve, and the pulmonary valve. Heart valve disease occurs when one or more heart valves do not function properly to allow blood to flow in one direction. The most common forms of heart valve disease are:
Heart valve stenosis : Occurs when the heart valves become thickened, hard, or stick to the edges of the heart valves, which will limit the heart's ability to open and interfere with blood flow. thereby. At this point, the heart has to pump harder to compress the blood flow through the narrowing of the heart valve; Heart valve regurgitation (valvular failure): A condition in which the heart valves do not close properly due to causes such as dilated annulus, adhesions, degeneration, retraction or too long valvular ligaments,... can cause blood flow to back up during valve closure. When the valve is open, the heart has to work harder to make up for the lack of blood due to reflux; Combination: In some cases, it is possible to have both valvular stenosis and valvular failure in 1 or more valves, especially in people with rheumatic valvular disease. Causes of heart valve disease can be: Congenital, cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, old age, rheumatic heart disease, mitral valve prolapse,...

Most heart valve diseases can be treated with medication or surgery to repair or replace the heart valve. Depending on the cause of heart valve disease, the symptoms of the disease (difficulty breathing, fatigue, chest pain), the extent of the valve's impact on the heart's contractile function, etc., doctors will choose a treatment method. appropriate treatment for each individual patient.

The drug treatment is indicated for cases of stenosis, regurgitation of heart valves. This method helps to relieve symptoms, reduce the burden on the heart, slow down the progression of the disease, but it cannot treat the root condition of the stenosis and regurgitation of the heart valve. Some commonly used drugs are: vasodilators, diuretics, anticoagulants,...
Surgical intervention for valvular heart disease, valvular stenosis is often applied to cases requiring replacement of heart valves. . Based on the extent of heart valve damage, the doctor will choose open heart surgery or percutaneous cardiac intervention. Percutaneous cardiac interventions are performed in cases of stenosis or congenital heart valve defects. The technique of percutaneous heart valve replacement (non-surgical) is a new and modern technique but has not been widely applied.
When suffering from heart valve disease, the patient needs to know the current status of the heart valve, inform the doctor about his or her pathology every time he goes to the doctor. At the same time, patients need to be treated early when there are symptoms of infection, regular oral hygiene, medication as prescribed by the doctor, regular check-ups, regular blood pressure check and treatment for hypertension. if.
In addition, people with heart valve disease need to eat light, eat less salt, less fat, periodically check the blood fat index. Patients also need to avoid drinking coffee, alcohol, exercising every day, living in moderation and avoiding overexertion.

Cardiovascular disease is generally a complex specialty, in which surgical interventions on heart valves are advanced and sophisticated techniques. Therefore, understanding about the benefits and risks of cardiovascular intervention, as well as choosing a place to perform it that is reputable, has good doctors and good equipment is extremely necessary.
Cardiovascular patients can choose to be examined and treated at Vinmec International General Hospital. There is a team of Cardiologists, including Professors, Doctors, Specialist 2 doctors, Masters with experience, great reputation in the field of medical treatment, surgery, interventional cardiac catheterization. . Vinmec also focuses on applying advanced techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, using a system of modern medical equipment that meets international standards, helping to improve the efficiency of examination and treatment.