Seeing that it is the most major organ in the body and the one that makes the remainder of the body work, when something bad happens to the heart, fear is an immediate reaction. Heart valve illness is when a valve in the heart doesn’t work the way it should. It may be blocked from opening all of the way thus not permitting blood flow to occur the way it needs to for the body to work the way it should. When this occurs, heart valve replacement is an option to fix the problem.

Every year, over 250.000 heart valve replacement surgeries are performed with only 2.4% ending fatally. That may appear like a high percentage, but when dealing with any surgery on the heart, it is highly low in all reality. Every day we engage in activities that are just as risky. Driving an automobile, flying in aplane, and crossing the street are all activities that could end fatally but often don’t. A method to dispel any fear you have over this surgery is to recollect that and go into it with the positive outlook of how this is one more potentially dangerous activity you’ll do, but tell yourself that the chance of it being fatal is too little to chance not having it done. If you need the surgery, get it done.

One main problem that would make you need heart valve surgery is known as aortic stenosis. This occurs when a valve in your heart chamber doesn’t open fully. It might occur from scarring or calcium deposits forming, but when a valve doesn’t open absolutely , less blood flows through or it has to flow through a smaller chamber therefore not getting to the next chamber. When this occurs, there are 2 possible surgeries that may occur. They can repair the valve meaning repairing the part that’s hurt or they can replace it which means removing the ill valve and replacing it with one that works.

The surgery sounds much scarier than it essentially is. When heart valve replacement is needed, the doctors put you under anesthesia so you aren’t awake during it and then they physically stop your heart from beating but have a machine continue pumping the blood through your body. They then make an incision above your aorta, do the needed repairs and then stitch you back up. The final scar(s) will be tiny so there’s truly nothing to worry about.