Heart Valve Surgery - How A Pig Can Help Your Heart Function Properly?

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation is done in older adults who have a severely damaged aortic valve. This procedure is apt for people mostly in their 70s and 80s because an open heart surgery poses several risks in older people. TAVR procedure can be done by cutting a very small opening and placing the new valve.

Post heart valve surgery, the patient may experience complications like irregular heartbeats, heavy sweating and also night sweating and flu-like symptoms. The patient may experience sudden weight gain, edema, wound infection, shortness of breath and fever as well.

Most patients resume work 6 to 12 weeks after the surgery. But the time may also vary from person to person and must be discussed with the doctor before actually resuming normal daily activities. It may take a little more effort for the simple activities that the patient used to easily do earlier due to less stamina and early feeling of fatigue. This can be overcome by gradually increasing the level of work and involving the office work in your daily schedule at home too.

If the heart valves are severely damaged, the condition causes abnormal blood flow from one chamber of the heart to the other and surgery for valve replacement or repair is required. The valves can be of two types depending upon which type will suit the patient. A mechanical valve is made of materials like ceramics, metal, plastic etc. A biological valve is usually made of animal tissue. So, a bovine valve or a pig valve is useful in heart valve replacement in humans. Sometimes the patient s own tissue can also be used to make a valve.