Surgery 1st choice for aortic valve treatment: Doctor

By Mehmet Kadir Kilinc

ISTANBUL (AA) – Surgery is the first choice for heart-related aortic valve treatment in patients under the age of 75, according to a Turkish doctor.

“Studies show that surgically replacing or repairing the valve is more advantageous in terms of long-term results,” said Dr. Mustafa Guden, a cardiovascular surgeon at Medipol Mega University Hospital in Istanbul.

Guden said there are different methods of surgery. The first method is to cut the entire sternum as standard and there are wounds of 15-17 centimeters.

The other method is to open one-third of the breastbone, which is called minimally invasive, with a small incision, he added.

Aortic valve replacement or repair can also be performed with a five to six-centimeter wound on the right chest, he said.

“Our first choice is surgery especially for patients under the age of 75. But if there is an obstacle in the preparation for anesthesia or surgery, we apply other methods,” he said.

He said the second option is the non-surgical one, in which the valve is placed through the catheter method. This method is preferred in the high-risk group, especially the older ones, he said.

Underlining that every aortic valve disease does not require immediate surgery, he said they sometimes follow the patients for a long time.

When the stenosis or insufficiency increases, a decision is made for surgery or any other intervention, he said, adding that echocardiography is the most important diagnostic method.

If there is no severe calcification in the valve, it is a great advantage for the patients to be repaired as the first choice, and the second choice is to replace the valve according to the age of the patient, he added.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar