Brain & Nervous System Stroke Surgery for a Prosthetic Heart Valve By Jose Vega MD, PhD Jose Vega MD, PhD LinkedIn Jose Vega MD, PhD, is a board-certified neurologist and published researcher specializing in stroke. Learn about our editorial process Updated on January 20, 2022 Medically reviewed by Scott Sundick, MD Medically reviewed by Scott Sundick, MD LinkedIn Scott Sundick, MD, is board-certified in general surgery and vascular surgery. Since 2012, he has practiced with The Cardiovascular Care Group in New Jersey. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Fact checked by Angela Underwood Fact checked by Angela Underwood LinkedIn Angela Underwood's extensive local, state, and federal healthcare and environmental news coverage includes 911 first-responder compensation policy to the Ciba-Geigy water contamination case in Toms River, NJ. Her additional health-related coverage includes death and dying, skin care, and autism spectrum disorder. Learn about our editorial process Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Types of Valve Heart Disease Causes Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Complications A prosthetic heart valve is surgically implanted in the heart to replace a heart valve that has become damaged due to heart valve disease. Heart valve replacement surgery is performed when repair of the valve is not an option. The heart has four valves: the tricuspid (tri-CUSS-pid), pulmonary (PULL-mun-ary), mitral (MI-trul), and aortic (ay-OR-tik) valve. Each valve has a tissue flap that opens and closes with every heartbeat. The function of the flap is to ensure that blood flows in the right direction – through the four chambers of the heart—and to the rest of the body. Shannon Fagan / Getty Images Types of Valve Heart Disease Stenosis occurs if the flaps of a valve thicken or fuse together. The heart valve is unable to fully open and blood flow through the valve is restricted. Regurgitation or backflow occurs as a result of a prolapsed valve. Also known as a leaky valve, a prolapse occurs when the valve bulges back into a heart chamber during a heartbeat. A prolapse mainly affects the mitral valve. Atresia occurs if the heart valve does not have an opening for blood to pass through. Causes Heart valve disease can be either congenital (before birth) or it can develop over time or be the result of an infection. At times, the cause of heart valve disease is unknown. There are several causes of heart valve disease, including: Congenital Heart Valve Disease: Congenital heart valve disease can occur on its own or with other congenital heart defects. Most often congenital heart valve disease affects the aortic or pulmonary valve.Acquired Heart Valve Disease: Acquired heart valve disease usually affects the mitral or aortic valves.Rheumatic Fever: Rheumatic fever is usually caused by an untreated bacterial infection. Complications may not appear until much later in life.Endocarditis: Endocarditis is a bacterial infection that affects the heart valves causing growths, holes, and scarring in the valves. Symptoms The main symptom of heart valve disease is a heart murmur. Yet some people may have heart murmurs without having heart valve disease. Other signs and symptoms of heart valve disease include the following: Shortness of breath upon exertionSwelling in the extremities—ankles, feet, legsSwelling of neck veinsChest pain upon exertionIrregular heartbeatDizzinessFaintness Diagnosis Upon detection of a heart murmur or signs of heart valve disease, the following diagnostic tests may be conducted: EchocardiogramChest X-rayCardiac catheterizationStress testCardiac MRI Treatment Patients may be asked to limit physical activities that make them short of breath or tired. Medicines may be prescribed to treat the following: Heart failureHigh blood pressureCoronary heart diseaseArrhythmia During valve replacement surgery, the damaged or faulty valve is replaced with a biologically compatible or mechanical valve that is sewn into the annulus of the native valve. Biological valves may last 10 to 15 years or longer and are made from pig, cow or human heart tissue. Mechanical valves last longer and do not have to be replaced but patients will need to take blood-thinning medication for the rest of their life to prevent blood clots from forming on the valve. Complications Some complications in prosthetic heart valve surgery include the following: BleedingHeart attackInfectionStrokeArrhythmia—irregular heart rhythm 17 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. John Hopkins Medicine. Heart Valve Repair or Replacement Surgery. University of Rochester Medical Center. Anatomy and Function of the Heart Valves. American Heart Association. Problem: Heart Valve Stenosis. John Hopkins Medicine. Mitral Valve Prolapse. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tricuspid Atresia. University of California San Francisco. Heart Valve Surgery. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Valvular Heart Disease. University of Michigan. Cardiac Surgery. Cedars Sinai. Bacterial Endocarditis. MedlinePlus. Heart Valve Diseases. American Heart Association. Symptoms of Heart Valve Disease. American Heart Association. Testing for Heart Valve Problems. Gati S, Malhotra A, Sharma S. Exercise recommendations in patients with valvular heart disease. Heart. 2019;105(2):106-110. doi. 10.1136/heartjnl-2018-313372 American Heart Association. Types of Heart Medication. Bapat V, Tang GHL. Fracturing surgical valves to improve hemodynamics in transcatheter aortic valve-in-valve replacement: Insanity or ingenuity? The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 2019;158(1):72-75. doi. 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2019.01.132 University of Michigan. Cardiac Surgery. ScienceDaily. Reducing the risk of blood clots in artifical heart valves. By Jose Vega MD, PhD Jose Vega MD, PhD, is a board-certified neurologist and published researcher specializing in stroke. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit