In which cases is heart valve replacement indicated?

On patients with stenosis or regurgitation, the heart has to work harder, leading to heart failure, causing significant impacts on health and quality of life. Heart valve replacement is considered an effective treatment solution in these patients.

The heart has 4 chambers, including 2 upper chambers, the right atrium and the left atrium, and the 2 lower chambers, the right ventricle and the left ventricle. The atria receive blood from the venous system and then pump it down to the ventricles. The ventricles pump blood out of the heart into the arteries that feed the body.
The valves of the heart can be viewed as doors that only allow blood to flow in one direction. There are 4 heart valves including:
Tricuspid valve: located in the right heart, allowing blood to flow from the right atrium to the right ventricle. Mitral valve: located in the left heart, allows blood to flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle. Pulmonary valve: allows blood to flow one way from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery. Here the blood is exchanged for oxygen with the alveoli in the lungs. Aortic valve: allows blood to flow one way from the left ventricle to the aorta.

Aortic valve replacement When patients have aortic stenosis or regurgitation, or both aortic stenosis and regurgitation, aortic valve replacement will be indicated. The cause is usually birth defects (newborns), rheumatic heart disease (seen in young and middle-aged people) or degenerative heart valves (older people).
Aortic valve stenosis The aortic valve is narrowed, blocking blood flow out of the heart. The heart has to work harder to pump blood out, leading to left ventricular hypertrophy, heart failure and even sudden death.
Depending on the severity of the aortic valve stenosis, the doctor will prescribe different treatment methods. If the stenosis is mild - moderate, the patient can be treated with drugs and periodically followed up. In case of severe valvular stenosis, the patient must be intervened with percutaneous aortic valve replacement or valve repair surgery, heart valve replacement.
Aortic valve regurgitation The aortic valve does not close tightly, causing blood flow from the aorta to return to the left ventricle, leading to left ventricular dilatation, increased pressure on the heart, and long-term heart failure.
People with severe aortic regurgitation with symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath and left ventricular dilatation, reduced ejection fraction on echocardiography should be indicated for valve repair or replacement.
Mitral valve replacement Mitral valve replacement is usually indicated in patients with mitral stenosis or regurgitation. The cause is often due to rheumatic heart disease, valve prolapse, valve degeneration, infection,...
Mitral stenosis Mitral valve stenosis makes it difficult for blood to go down the left ventricle and partially stasis in the left atrium, causing left atrial hypertension, left atrial dilatation. As a result, it leads to increased pressure in the lungs, making it difficult for patients to breathe, which can lead to asthma, acute pulmonary edema, atrial fibrillation, arrhythmia, and cerebrovascular accident.
Patients with simple mitral stenosis can be intervened by percutaneous balloon dilation. In patients with tight stenosis with mitral regurgitation or too thick, calcified leaflets, the doctor will prescribe mitral valve replacement.
Mitral regurgitation The mitral valve does not close tightly causing blood flow from the left ventricle to back up into the left atrium. Mitral valve regurgitation makes the left ventricle work harder to ensure that blood is pumped to the body, leading to left ventricular dilatation and heart failure in the long run.
Patients with severe mitral regurgitation accompanied by symptoms of heart failure (dyspnea on exertion, at rest) or on echocardiography with a decrease in ejection fraction, must replace the heart valve or repair the heart valve depending on the condition of the damage. Injury to the valve and the system of ligaments and muscles in the heart valve.

Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the most prestigious medical treatment units for cardiovascular diseases in Vietnam. The Cardiology Department of Vinmec always receives much praise and satisfaction from domestic & international customers. As a pioneer address to successfully apply the world's most advanced techniques in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
A team of highly qualified and experienced specialists: Doctors with qualifications from Master to Professor, Doctorate, reputable in medical treatment, surgery, interventional cardiac catheterization. Intensive training at home & abroad. In particular, Prof. TS.BS Vo Thanh Nhan - Cardiology Director of Vinmec Central Park was recognized as the first and only expert in Vietnam to be awarded the "Proctor" certificate on TAVI. State-of-the-art equipment, comparable to major hospitals in the world: The most modern operating room in the world; The most modern silent magnetic resonance imaging machine in Southeast Asia; The CT machine has a super-fast scanning speed of only 0.275s/round without the use of drugs to lower the heart rate; 16-sequence PET/CT and SPECT/CT systems help to detect early damage to cardiovascular organs even when there are no symptoms of the disease. Applying the most advanced advanced cardiovascular techniques in the world in treatment: Painless open heart surgery; Percutaneous aortic intervention without general anesthesia; Treatment of mitral regurgitation through the catheter has a success rate of 95%; Ventricular-assisted artificial heart transplantation for patients with end-stage heart failure prolongs quality of life beyond 7 years. Cooperating with leading cardiovascular centers in Vietnam and the world such as: National Heart Institute, Cardiology Department of Hanoi Medical University, University of Paris Descartes - Georges Pompidou Hospital (France), University of Pennsylvania (France), University of Pennsylvania United States)... with the aim of updating the most modern cardiovascular treatments in the world. To be examined and treated with leading Vinmec cardiologists, please book an appointment online at the website or contact Vinmec Health System nationwide for service.