Any of the four heart valves may become diseased, but the most commonly involved are the mitral and aortic valves. Only one valve may be involved, but not infrequently two valves and occasionally three valves may be affected. When a valve is diseased, it may become narrowed (stenosed) or become … Diseases of the valvesRead more
The heart and its valves
The heart consists of four separate chambers. There are two receiving chambers and two pumping chambers. One receiving chamber receives … The heart and its valvesRead more
VALVULAR HEART DISEASE
Abnormalities of the heart may be either congenital or acquired during life and are very common. In most cases they cause trivial effects on the function of the heart and, provided certain precautions are taken, will not interfere with the person’s life. Occasionally, however, the effects may be more severe … VALVULAR HEART DISEASERead more
What can I do?
Most of this booklet has talked about what other people can and will do to ensure a successful operation and a smooth and happy recovery period. Many patients are keen to know what they can do, both before and after the operation, to help themselves. The following points may be … What can I do?Read more
Return to work
It is an encouraging fact that most studies have shown that around 75% to 80% of heart surgery patients return to their previous employment. The timing of return to work depends on the kind of work involved. As a general rule, patients with light occupations can consider returning to work … Return to workRead more
What about convalescence?
In general it takes about three months to make a full recovery after cardiac surgery. Remember that there is a wide variation in the rate at which different people recover from major surgery. This depends largely on the overall health of the patient before surgery, but is also affected by … What about convalescence?Read more
How long will I be in hospital?
The usual length of stay in hospital for cardiac surgery is about two weeks. Patients are usually admitted to the cardiac surgery unit two or three days before the … How long will I be in hospital?Read more
What is Heart transplantation
In a number of patients with advanced heart disease, the doctors may advise a heart transplant. This operation involves removing the patient’s own diseased heart and replacing it with a healthy heart from a suitable donor. This procedure is carried out in a few centres in the UK which have … What is Heart transplantationRead more
What new techniques are available for coronary artery disease
You may have heard of a relatively new technique called Balloon Angioplasty which can be used in some coronary patients. This technique involves the passage of a long fine catheter tube into an artery in the groin and advancing the tip of the catheter tube into the narrowed part of … What new techniques are available for coronary artery diseaseRead more
Will the pain come back?
It has been accepted that the operation is doing nothing to the underlying cause of the disease, which is not well understood. Therefore, in a proportion of patients, pain may recur as the disease progresses. At … Will the pain come back?Read more