Overview

What is Heart valve disease?

Heart valve disease refers to various disorders that impair one or more of the heart's valves from working properly. If left untreated, this illness may result in life-threatening repercussions, increased cardiac strain, and a reduced quality of life. Thankfully, minimally invasive techniques or surgery can replace or repair the damaged heart valve, returning normal function and allowing individuals to resume their regular activities.

Four valves in the heart guarantee that blood spills in only one direction. These valves are as follows:

The mitral valve is located between the left atrium and the left ventricle.
The tricuspid valve is located between the right atrium and the right ventricle.
The aortic valve is situated between the right atrium and the right ventricle.
Pulmonary valve: The space separating the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery is known as the interventricular septum.

Deoxygenated blood returns from the body to the right atrium of the heart, passes through the tricuspid valve, and enters the right ventricle. The pulmonary arteries and veins carry blood from the lungs to the rest of the body for oxygenation. The oxygenated blood can also enter the heart's left atrium through the pulmonary veins. The left chamber and left ventricle get blood stream help from the mitral valve.

After that, the oxygenated blood moves through the aortic valve and out of the heart through the aorta, where it reaches the tissues in the body. Each heart valve is made up of tiny, circular structures that open for a half-nanosecond to allow blood to flow forward. These circular lines occur near the other half of the eye, which aids in the backward flow of blood.

While the mitral valve possesses two leaflets, the other valve has three. The mitral and tricuspid valve also features chordae tendineae, which are tough fibrous strands of tissue connecting the valve leaflets to the papillary muscles within the ventricle walls. The shape of the valves and the muscles that surround them are crucial for keeping them stable and reducing the likelihood that blood will flow back into the heart.

Heart valve issues come in three essential structures:

Stenosis: When the valve becomes too narrow, the heart cannot pump enough blood through. The blood flow will be restricted and as tight as a rigid sock. This would be similar to trying to pump water through a sock that is not pliable. Much more effort will be required to get it moving to reach the body parts.
Regurgitation: Also known as leakage or insufficiency, this happens when there's a small gap in the heart valve that allows blood to flow in the wrong direction. It's like a leaky valve.
Prolapse: When this happens, the valve flaps fold back into the heart chambers and making it difficult for the valve to seal completely, which can lead to failure. The heart valves most susceptible to such problems include the tricuspid, mitral, aortic, and pulmonary.

What symptoms does heart valve disease present?

The patient's general health, the severity of the condition, and the affected valve all affect the severity of symptoms. Patients with moderate heart valve defects may never have any symptoms. Some common symptoms are as follows:

Dyspnea, or difficulty breathing, particularly when exerted
Fatigue or a weak or worn-out feeling.
Fast or irregular heartbeats; pressure or pain in the chest.

What causes heart valve disease?

The causes of common heart valve disease include:

Rheumatic fever is caused by undressed strep throat.
Your heart is damaged by a heart attack.
Advanced-than-normal blood pressure.
A natural condition that has been present from birth, like an incorrectly developed pulmonary or aortic valve.
Deterioration or calcification of the valve tissue, which ultimately results in function loss.
Aortic dilation, or thoracic aortic aneurysm, can cause leakage by stretching the cusps of the aortic valve.
Cardiac arrest.
A heart infection known as contagious endocarditis.

How is heart valve disease diagnosed and tested?

After performing a stethoscope and physical examination, your doctor may discover any of the following symptoms of heart valve disease.

The lungs contain fluid.
A bigger heart
A heart murmur, which might show that blood is passing using a thick or stenotic valve.
Enlarging in the lower appendages.

Numerous medical tests can also identify heart valve disease. By doing routine checkups, your doctor can follow the improvement of your valve condition and suggest the best treatment for you.

Transesophageal echocardiography, or TEE
An electrocardiogram (ECG)
Echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart)
Cardiac catheterization (angiogram)
Chest X-ray
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

What are the tests done to treat heart valve disease?

The treatment of a heart valve infection is determined by several factors, including the patient's overall health, the severity of the disease, and the type of affected valve.

Medication for medical conditions:

While medications cannot halt the progression of heart valve disease, they can assist in controlling its symptoms. Some examples include blood thinners, diuretics, and beta-blockers.

Surgical procedures:

Valve maintenance: Careful repair of a faulty valve can sometimes restore it to its original capacity.
Substitution of Valve: If a valve suffers significant damage, an artificial one may be required.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a less invasive technique, or open heart surgery are the two options available for this. The decision to replace or repair something depends on several criteria of the patient.

How much time does recovery take following heart valve surgery?

Following heart surgery, you can stay in the hospital for five to seven days. Recovery may take another four to eight weeks after that. To help you recover, your doctor can suggest cardiac recuperation, which is an exercise regimen under close supervision.

Living With

How do I look after my requirements?

Continue taking any medicines that your doctor prescribes, and attend all of your follow-up visits.

Why Tender Palm Super-Speciality Hospital for Heart Valve Disease?

Tender Palm Hospital has the most experienced team of Cardiologists, Cardiac Surgeons, and diagnostics with the latest and International standard infection control measures in Lucknow, India. The Cardiac Science Centre team has decades of experience in successfully treating Heart Valve Disease.