There are 4 valves in your heart which act like doors to control the blood flow between the different parts of the heart. Valve problems can occur due to congenital abnormalities (present at birth), or they can develop later in life as a result of infections and degeneration. The affected valves can be repaired or replaced through heart valve surgery.
Valve repair involves fixing as much of the damaged valve as possible without the use of artificial parts. If all efforts to repair the valve fail, the surgeon will replace the valve during the same procedure.
The valve can be replaced using artificial valves (made of plastic or metal), bioprosthetic valves (made of biological material from animal tissue), or an allograft valve (human valve tissue).
During heart valve surgery, a cut down the middle of the chest is made and the breastbone is separated. The surgeon will assess whether this procedure or a less invasive keyhole surgery (which involves smaller cuts made) is more suitable.