What is heart valve repair or replacement?

In heart valve surgery, we will repair or replace diseased heart valves. Heart valve diseases include:

• Aortic stenosis, which occurs when the aortic valve is narrowed and doesn't open completely.
• Mitral regurgitation, which occurs when the mitral valve does not close properly and allows blood to flow backward in the heart

We use many surgical approaches, including open heart surgery and robot-assisted, minimally invasive surgery. 

What to expect.

Our Heart Valve Clinic is located at the Holmes Regional Medical Center.

Before your surgery, Health First's expert cardiac team will give you all the information you need to prepare, including personalized instructions tailored to your heart valve treatment plan.

Preparation Checklist

• During your visit with your cardiothoracic surgeon, schedule a surgery date.
• If requested by your surgeon, make appointments with your primary care physicians to obtain medical clearance and discuss your wellness plan pre and post-surgery.
• Schedule any other pre-surgical appointments as listed in your heart valve treatment plan.
• Visit with your cardiac team 2-4 weeks before surgery to make a plan for heart valve repair or replacement recovery.
• Schedule post-surgery rehabilitation appointments per recommendations from your Health First cardiac care team.
• Your treatment team will give you instructions on when and how to stop and resume taking prescribed blood thinners.
• Your treatment team will provide you with a list of discharge instructions. You'll need support from a friend or family member for at least a week following surgery. If you need help arranging for at-home support, talk to your Health First discharge nurse.

You + recovery = ready for action.

Your recovery timeline will be unique to you. In general, most heart valve repair and replacement patients recover over the course of several weeks. After surgery, your cardiac care team will communicate openly during each milestone of recovery and work with you to help you achieve your goals.

Our cardiac team will work with you to create a future wellness plan—including nutrition and post-surgical fitness tips, flexibility exercises and stress management—so you can feel stronger and confident to take on whatever challenges lie ahead.

The different approaches to heart valve surgery.

Aortic valve replacement

Aortic valve replacement is the process of removing the diseased valve and replacing it with an artificial valve. The aortic valve replacement procedure is considered the highest standard for best long–term results and can be performed with minimally invasive methods.

Transcatheter mitral valve repair

Transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) is a minimally invasive procedure that doesn't involve opening the chest. TMVr may be an option for patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation who are too sick for surgery.  Our Valve Clinic is proud to be the first and only comprehensive cardiac program in Brevard County to offer the MitraClip procedure, which uses a thin tube (catheter) that is guided through a vein in your leg to reach your heart.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that repairs the valve without removing the old, damaged valve. Instead, it wedges a replacement valve into the aortic valve's place. The surgery may also be called Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI).

This procedure is ideal for patients diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis who are moderate to high surgical risk.

Balloon aortic valvuloplasty

Balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) is used to treat severe aortic stenosis. This temporary catheter–based procedure widens a stiff or narrowed heart valve.