Explaining the advantages of valve repair surgery over valve replacement, Dr. Vivek Jawali, Chairman, Cardiovascular Sciences Fortis Hospitals and a pioneer in awake heart surgery said “Valvular heart diseases is a major cause for morbidity and mortality. With low socioeconomic status, improper hygiene, improper treatment and unavailability of medical services rheumatic heart disease is still prevalent in India. Other causes like ageing, infective endocardits, and inborn errors also add to the problem. With medical facilities in rural India still in infantile state, diagnosing problems related to heart suffer, and so patients present in a very late stage to the physicians.”
The commonest way to remedy a valvular heart problem would be replacement of the valve with either a mechanical or a bioprosthetic valve. Both have their disadvantages. With mechanical valve, requiring blood thinning drugs, lifelong monitoring of the patient’s blood for the level of anticoagulation is a major problem. Bioprosthetic valves have the disadvantage that they may fail and require surgery for their replacement
Valve repair is a major move away from replacement. The mitral valve repair for mitral valve disease is the preferred method for these patients. Special technical expertise is required to do this procedure but benefits to the patients are enormous in terms of preservation of the heart function, no need for blood thinners and better quality of life for these patients.
