Endoscopic valve replacement
Open-heart surgeries are no longer the only medical option for heart patients, but Endoscopic valve replacement has become one of the other possible options to perform some heart surgeries for these patients, which has proven successful and effective for many of them, and this has succeeded in reducing complications and open-heart surgeries. This leads to faster recovery of patients after surgery.
Aortic valve stenosis
The heart contains four valves: the aortic valve, the mitral valve, the pulmonary valve, and the tricuspid valve. These valves regulate the movement of blood, by closing and opening with regular mechanical movements that are coordinated with the contraction and relaxation of the heart muscle.
However, some patients suffer from the problem of aortic valve narrowing, whereby the aortic valve loses its flexibility and becomes rigid and narrow, as a result of several factors, the most famous of which is calcium deposits on it. This results in a narrowing of the blood flow through the aorta, which requires greater effort from the heart muscle to pump blood through that narrow valve.
Aortic valve replacement
The process of changing the aortic valve can be done by one of the following means:
Open heart surgeries
These are operations carried out by specialized and experienced consultants, whereby a complete incision is made of the sternum (front breast bone) and then access to the heart and dealing with the damaged valve directly by replacing it or repairing the valve.
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Transcatheter aortic valve replacement operations
It is a simple procedure that uses a catheter that extends from one of the large blood vessels to the aortic valve, then replacing it and implanting the new valve.
Endoscopic valve replacement
The endoscope can be used for the purpose of repairing or changing heart valves. This is done by using the endoscope to reach the damaged valve and replace it with a new valve, without the need for a complete incision of the rib cage bone, and it leads to a faster recovery of the patient and a return to his normal life faster than traditional surgery.
How is the endoscopic valve replacement procedure performed?
Endoscopic valve repair or replacement surgery is performed after the patient undergoes general anesthesia, after which the doctor makes a small incision on the side with a length of only 5 or 6 cm, then the endoscopic tube is inserted through this incision without making a chest incision like open-heart operations, and depending on the imaging technique, the doctor directs The endoscope is in the aortic duct to reach the location of the damaged aortic valve, then it performs a repair or replacement of the valve and implants and installs a new valve, which is either a mechanical valve made of titanium or carbon, or a valve made of biological tissue is used, and the specialist doctor He is the one who decides which type of valve is best suited to treat the patient.
After the operation, the patient needs to stay in the intensive care room to monitor his health condition for a day or more depending on his health condition, after which he can be discharged from the hospital and recover quickly at home.
What is the success rate of endoscopic heart valve replacement?
Minimally invasive aortic valve replacement is considered the safest procedure compared to traditional open-heart surgeries, due to the small surgical opening through which it is performed, which gives the patient a greater chance of a quick recovery, less risk of infection, and less pain and less blood loss during the procedure. This is one of the most important advantages of laparoscopic valve replacement, in addition to the possibility of the patient returning to normal life quickly after the operation.
Professor Dr. Muhammad Ali Al-Ghannam, consultant cardiothoracic surgeon, explains that laparoscopic aortic valve replacement surgeries are performed by an experienced medical team with sufficient experience for this type of surgery, and their success rate reaches 98%, and they are very suitable for the elderly and patients who suffer from other health problems.
The best heart surgery doctor
Professor Dr. Muhammad Ali Al-Ghannam, Consultant in Cardiothoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, PhD in Cardiothoracic Surgery, holds a Fellowship from the British College of Cardiothoracic Surgery, a Fellow of the University of Liverpool and James Cook University in England, a member of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and an international member of the American Society for Thoracic Surgery. Al-Sadr, and a member of the Egyptian Critical Care Society.
