Heart Valve Surgery – patient information to assist informed consent
This 6-page RACS patient education pamphlet provides information on surgery to replace a heart valve. The topics discussed include:
- Anatomy and physiology of the heart (including the structure of the aortic valve, pulmonary valve, mitral valve and tricuspid valve)
- Symptoms of heart valve disease, such as fatigue and chest pain
- Causes of heart valve disease, such as bacterial endocarditis, hypertension, coronary artery disease and congenital defects to the bicuspid aortic valve
- Heart valve replacement and the two types of artificial heart valves (mechanical valves and biological valves)
- Preoperative assessment and investigations, such as echocardiogram and CT coronary angiogram
- The possible complications of heart valve surgery
This leaflet can be a useful tool for patients requiring surgical replacement or surgical repair of a heart valve. The surgical methods outlined for heart valve replacement are:
- Open surgery, including aortic valve replacement with a biological valve and mitral valve replacement with a mechanical valve
- Minimally invasive heart valve surgery
For certain patients with aortic stenosis, Trans-catheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) is also described.
The surgical methods outlined for heart valve repair include:
- Repair to the mitral valve by quadrangular resection
- Annuloplasty
Mi-tec publishes 31 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons patient information brochures. Heart valve surgery is described in plain English to assist the patients’ understanding of health information and to help patients make informed decisions. The RACS patient information brochures are printed in five-colour on high-quality A4 sheets.