Aortic Valve Replacement

Israel’s successful cardiac surgeries are known and appreciated by patients and physicians around the world. Aortic valve replacement in Israel helps patients of all ages to cope with progressive heart failure caused by damage to the valve. Innovative techniques of minimally invasive operations on the heart valves have been successfully applied in the Cardiac Surgery Center at “Herzliya Medical Center” private hospital and have proven to have high efficiency and safety. At HMC one can find professional consultation and operation by leading surgeons of the country trained in the best cardiac centers in the world. They also have tremendous experience in operations on the heart of any complexity.

What is the function of the heart valve?

The human heart is a unique muscle pump for continuous blood flow throughout your life without any rest or break. The heart of all mammals consists of four chambers – two atria and two ventricles; such a structure provides efficient hemodynamics in small and large circulation. As a result, the muscle contractions of the heart blood pass from the atria to the ventricles and from the ventricles are ejected at high pressure in the great vessels – the aorta and the pulmonary artery. Such a system requires mechanisms to prevent reverse blood flow and return blood during relaxation of the heart muscle. This mechanism is the heart valve, successfully regulating the unilateral bloodstream, increasing the efficiency of this wonderful system.

Why the need for aortic valve replacement?

• The aortic valve is located at the entrance to the main artery of the body – the aorta. There are two reasons for the replacement of the aortic valve: the aortic valve becomes narrowed and obstructs the blood flowing through it
• The aortic valve leaks and blood flows back through it into the left ventricle

A number of birth defects, as well as disease and age-related changes,  lead to disturbances of normal function of the valve, such as:

• Stenosis (narrowing) of the valve ring obstructing the release of a sufficient amount of blood into the aorta
• Aortic valve an incomplete closure of the valve petals and return of blood to the left ventricle during relaxation of the heart muscle

Both of these conditions lead to the development of progressive heart failure which is treated by skilled doctors at The Cardiac Surgery Center at “Herzliya Medical Center” private hospital. Timely access to specialists helps to avoid irreversible changes and restoring normal heart functional capacity.

Diagnosis before replacing the aortic valve in Israel

At “Herzliya Medical Center” Private Hospital, patients are given the opportunity to go through all the necessary diagnostic procedures in order to determine the exact type of valve disorders. In addition, preoperative patients undergo a series of trials to assess the risk of the procedure to ensure appropriate training and prevention of possible complications. Cardia specialists at The Cardiac Surgery Center at HMC, after a thorough medical history and physical examination of the patient, recommend necessary diagnostic procedures, which typically include:

• ECG and / or daily monitoring of heart rhythm
• Ultrasound of the heart – an echocardiogram
• Isotope scanning of the heart
• If necessary, apply methods of minimally invasive endoscopic diagnosis of valves and coronary vessels
• Chest X-ray
• Complete blood count, and a study of its biochemical parameters and coagulation (clotting assay)

What is aortic valve replacement surgery in Israel?

Cardiac physicians at the Cardiac Surgery Unit at “Herzliya Medical Center” introduce innovative techniques of minimally invasive treatment for aortic stenosis in Israel, as well as other valve disorders requiring replacement. The safety of this operation allows applying this effective procedure even in elderly patients, as well as patients suffering from serious comorbidities. In contrast to the classical open heart surgery, modern endoscopic surgery does not require an extensive surgical incision. Access to the aortic valve is provided with a flexible optical instrument (endoscope) which is inserted into one of the peripheral blood vessels of the patient through a small incision. With minimally invasive surgery a surgeon can precisely determine the extent of damage to the aortic valve by monitoring under multiple increases. The surgical procedure is performed using special manipulators with utmost precision and minimal risk of complications.

Endoscopic surgical technique for the treatment of aortic stenosis in Israel is conducted by experts at “Herzliya Medical Center” and has greatly expanded indications for surgery and helped reduce the rate of postoperative complications and the duration of hospitalization.