Do you want to avoid having your breastone split open?
Whilst breaking the breastbone is used routinely to perform heart surgery it is associated with some problems. The incision is quite large and very visible, the bone takes 12 weeks to heal, and if the wound becomes infected, the bone can fail to heal.
Is keyhole heart surgery a realistic alternative?
Few patients have been told that aortic valve surgery can be performed both safely and effectively without opening the breastbone. The surgeon uses keyhole incisions to acheive this. These keyhole approaches only take a few days to heal rather than 3 months if the brestbone is split. The much smaller incision with keyhole aortic valve surgery also means less chance of bleeding, less infection and less lung complications. Cosmetically it also means a small scar that is easily hidden.
Is keyhole aortic valve replacement Safe?
Keyhole aortic valve surgery is both safe and effective when it is performed by experienced teams like those working with The Keyhole Heart Clinic.
Leaders in the field
The Keyhole Heart Clinic is internationally recognized as a leader in the field of keyhole heart surgeries, performing amongst the highest number of these procedures in the UK over the last 15 years. We offer a range of solutions for aortic valve replacement from sternotomy to keyhole to TAVI and will advise you on what the best solution for you.
What is TAVI / TAVR ?
In some patients who are not suitable for heart surgery, we can also offer TAVI (transfemoral aortic valve implantation). Also know as TAVR (transfemoral aortic valve replacement), this procedure is performed through the groin without deep anaesthetic or the need for a bypass machine in order to reduce the risks of the treatment. Not everyone is suitable for TAVI, ans the long term results as not as good as with keyhole aortic valve surgery. TAVI does not give good results in patients with bicuspid aortic valve disease.
What is Bicuspid aortic valve disease?
Approximately 1% of people are born with a two leaflet valve rather than the usual three leaflet valve. Patients with biscuspid valve disease MUST have the size of the main pipe that carries blood from the heart to the body and inside which the aortic valve sits (aortic aneurysm). If this is enlarged then the aort will need to be replaced at the same time as the aortic valve surgery. Patients with aortic valve leakage can oftern have their valve repaired during aorta aneurysm surgery.
