Mitral Valve Replacement Surgery

What To Expect

Recovery

Recovery from heart valve surgery usually involves a few days in an intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital. Full recovery from heart valve surgery can take several months. Recovery includes healing of the surgical incision, gradually building physical endurance, and exercising.

You will feel tired and sore for the first few weeks after surgery. You may have some brief, sharp pains on either side of your chest. Your chest, shoulders, and upper back may ache. The incision in your chest may be sore or swollen. These symptoms usually get better after 4 to 6 weeks.

You will probably be able to do many of your usual activities after 4 to 6 weeks. But for at least 6 weeks, you will not be able to lift heavy objects or do activities that strain your chest or upper arm muscles. At first you may notice that you get tired easily and need to rest often. It may take 1 to 2 months to get your energy back.

Even though the surgery repaired your mitral valve, it is still important to eat heart-healthy foods, get regular exercise, not smoke, take your heart medicines, and reduce stress. Your doctor may recommend that you work with a nurse, a dietitian, and a physical therapist to make these changes. This is sometimes called cardiac rehabilitation.

Life after surgery

After you have an artificial valve, your heart function and your life will largely return to normal. If you had symptoms before surgery, you should feel better than before you had the surgery. For example, you should no longer have shortness of breath and fatigue. But if your heart was already severely affected before your surgery, you may continue to have complications of heart disease.

You should be able to resume most of your normal activities, although you will have to continue to monitor your condition. You need to watch out for symptoms of blood clots and infections.

An artificial valve may need to be replaced after a period of time. So be sure to see your doctor regularly.

If you have a mechanical heart valve, you are more likely to develop blood clots in your heart. So you will take an anticoagulant medicine for the rest of your life to help prevent clots.

How Well It Works

After a diseased mitral valve is replaced, the artificial valve works more like a normal valve and allows blood to flow more normally through the heart. Many people feel better and have a better quality of life after surgery.^{footnote 2}

The outcome of mitral valve replacement depends on a person's heart health and overall health, including other health conditions.

What To Think About

Repair of the heart valve usually is the preferred surgery for a mitral valve problem. When the mitral valve is seriously damaged, heart valve replacement may be recommended. The decision whether to repair or replace a valve is based on many things, including your general health, the condition of the damaged valve, the presence of other health conditions, and the expected benefits of surgery.

Transcatheter repair for mitral valve regurgitation

A transcatheter procedure is a new way to repair a mitral valve. It does not require open-heart surgery. It is a minimally invasive procedure. A doctor uses catheters in blood vessels to insert a device in the valve. The device helps keep blood from leaking backward. This may relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. This procedure is available in a small number of hospitals. And it is not right for everyone. It might be done for a person who can't have surgery or for a person who has a high risk of serious problems from surgery.^{footnote 3}