Heart Valve Surgery

Overview

Robot-assisted heart surgery at Mayo Clinic

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Heart valve surgery is a procedure to treat heart valve disease. In heart valve disease, one or more of the four heart valves that keep blood flowing in the correct direction through your heart doesn't function properly. In heart valve surgery, your surgeon repairs or replaces your heart valve. Read more about heart valve surgery types.

Heart valve diseases that may be treated by heart valve surgery include:

• Aortic valve disease
• Mitral valve disease
• Pulmonary valve disease
• Tricuspid valve disease

Heart valve surgery can result in:

• Improved quality of life
• Prolonged life
• Reduced symptoms

While all open heart surgeries involve some risk, major complications are rare because of improved technology and surgical techniques. Most heart valve repair and replacement surgeries are successful.

Complications could include:

• Bleeding
• Heart attack
• Infection
• Irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia)
• Stroke
• Surgery needed for a new valve, in some instances, if the heart valve fails over time

Why choose Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is one of the largest medical centers in the United States for heart valve surgery. Heart (cardiac) surgeons work together with heart specialists (cardiologists) and other specialists to coordinate your care. Surgeons perform complex heart valve surgeries, including surgeries for people who have high surgical risks or who have had heart valve surgery previously.

Heart surgeons perform many heart valve surgeries with minimally invasive heart surgery, including video thoracoscopic and robot-assisted surgery. Minimally invasive surgery involves the use of smaller incisions, and you may have less pain and a shorter recovery period after minimally invasive surgery. Mitral valve repair is one of the most common minimally invasive heart surgeries performed at Mayo Clinic.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is ranked among the Best Hospitals for heart and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic also ranks among the Best Children's Hospitals for heart and heart surgery.

Related book: Mayo Clinic Healthy Heart for Life! book provides an easy-to-follow plan to prevent and conquer heart disease.