Weekly Health Page Articles: Heart Institute 

Safely Re-repairing Heart Valves

For various reasons heart surgery patients sometimes require an additional procedure, such as replacing tissue replacement valves that have a limited life span or adjusting new heart valves that can cause bleeding problems.

"Using techniques developed for minimally invasive heart procedures, we can safely rerepair the valves to normal function and spare the patient the need for a repeat replacement valve operation," says Edward M. Bender, MD, FACS, thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon on staff at Saint Francis Medical Center's Heart Institute. "Furthermore, the associated risks are no greater and are often less than they were the first time around."

Techniques include the use of small, specially designed tubes to put the patient on a heart/lung machine. Working with an anesthesiologist and special echocardiography equipment, a surgeon can perform this procedure without opening up the patient for a repeat surgery.

From Weekly Health Page: Feb. 25, 2007