Valve replacement surgery
Valve Replacement Surgery
Valve replacement surgery (pronounced: vălv rĭ-plās'mĕnt sŭr'jĕr-ē) is a cardiovascular surgery that involves replacing a damaged heart valve with a healthy one. This procedure is typically performed to treat heart valve disease.
Etymology
The term "valve replacement surgery" is derived from the Latin words "valva" meaning "folding door", "re-" meaning "again", and "placere" meaning "to please". The term "surgery" comes from the Greek word "cheirourgia", meaning "hand work".
Procedure
During a valve replacement surgery, the surgeon removes the damaged heart valve and replaces it with a prosthetic valve. There are two types of prosthetic valves: mechanical valves, which are made from materials such as plastic, carbon, or metal, and biological valves, which are made from animal tissue.
The type of valve used depends on the patient's age, health condition, and lifestyle. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia and can take several hours to complete.
Risks and Complications
Like any major surgery, valve replacement surgery carries risks. These may include infection, bleeding, blood clots, valve dysfunction, arrhythmia, and stroke. Patients are closely monitored after the surgery to manage these potential complications.
Related Terms
- Cardiovascular surgery
- Heart valve disease
- Mechanical valves
- Biological valves
- General anesthesia
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Blood clots
- Arrhythmia
- Stroke
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