Aortic Valve Replacement Surgery in India

What Is Aortic Valve Replacement?

Aortic valve replacement is a type of open-heart surgery used to treat problems with the heart's aortic valve. This involves removing and replacing the faulty or damaged valve. During this surgery, the damaged valve is removed and an artificial valve is placed in its place. Valve replacement is mostly open-heart surgery, in some cases, minimally invasive surgery or a catheter procedure may be possible.

• Aortic stenosis – When the valve opening becomes smaller, obstructing the flow of blood out of the heart.

• Aortic regurgitation – When the valve leaks causing blood to flow back into the heart.

Causes of aortic valve not working properly?

Valves may become clogged or malfunction, resulting in blood not flowing freely and backing up into the previous chamber. This can cause blood to flow improperly or put strain on the heart while pumping blood.

The primary reasons due to which aortic valve replacement may need to be done can be stated as follows:-

• Congenital defects: At birth, a patient with aortic valve problems may not have a properly formed heart. This can lead to complications later in life.

• Age-specific changes: The structure and health status of the heart change with age. It can also be a primary cause of problems in the heart valves.

• Infection: Several bacteria, such as species of Streptococcus and Mycobacterium, can colonize heart tissue. Persistent infection may lead to valve replacement.

• High blood pressure: The pressure of the blood flow is a contributing factor to the condition of the heart valves and often acts as a two-way system. Blood pressure increases due to blockage of blood flow in the valves; And similarly, the high force of blood flow can interfere with the function of the aortic and mitral valves.

• Injury to the heart: Although the heart is protected by the ribs from front to back, any injury to the heart tissue can cause problems in the functioning of the heart valves.

Aortic Valve Replacement Surgery Cost in India

The average cost of aortic valve replacement in India is between US$5500 to US$6500.

The patient has to spend 6-8 days in the hospital and about 2 weeks outside the hospital.

The success rate is around 94% to 97% due to the use of latest technologies and advancements in the medical field. The use of TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve replacement) has further improved success rates in complex cases, especially in cases where surgical correction is contraindicated.

Tests needed to detect damage to the valves include echocardiography (ECHO), transesophageal echo (TEE), ECG, chest X-ray, cardiac catheterization, stress test, or cardiac MRI.