Options and Considerations for Heart Valve Surgery
Is it possible to treat valve diseases with medications alone?
Most valve conditions can't be treated with medication alone. However, sometimes the problem isn’t severe enough to require surgical 修复 或阀 更换, but it’s bothersome enough to cause symptoms or risks. In these cases, a condition might be effectively managed for a while with medication.
Medications may be prescribed to:
- Reduce unpleasant symptoms from milder forms of the disorder.
- Maintain heart rhythm if a related 心律失常 存在.
- Lower the patient’s risk for clotting and stroke.
Heart valve disease is usually progressive. The outlook for those who receive no treatment can be poor. But many who do receive treatment go on to live very full and healthy lives, especially when their cardiovascular risks are otherwise low.
What happens if I don’t treat my condition or ignore recommendations?
Valve disease isn’t a condition that can be ignored. You may feel fine and not notice any problems for years. But once you begin to experience symptoms such as angina (chest pain), syncope (fainting or sudden loss of consciousness) and dyspnea (breathing difficulty or discomfort), life expectancy and quality of life can decline. Once valve disease such as aortic stenosis becomes severe, without treatment only half of people live two years and only 20% live five years.
Evidence is also clear that with proper treatment, most people enjoy an improvement in health and quality of life.
What are the risks associated with valve disease treatment?
As with all surgeries, there are risks. Because every patient is different, your doctor and your health care team will discuss your treatment options and recommend the best option for you.
那些破坏了, 修复ed or replaced heart valves are at increased risk for developing an infection of the valve (感染性心内膜炎).
Is it true that dental work can increase risks for people with heart valve problems?
这取决于. The 美国心脏协会 does not recommend antibiotics before dental procedures, except for patients at the highest risk of endocarditis. If a person has had heart valve surgery, but has not had a heart valve replaced, the cardiologist or surgeon will decide if antibiotics are needed. 阅读更多关于 antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines for 感染性心内膜炎.
术前核对表(PDF) | Pre-surgery Checklist Spanish (PDF)
Recovery Milestones Checklist (PDF) | Recovery Milestones Checklist Spanish (PDF)
