As a matter of interest, why.........

[Ged1975]

I know it's a stupid question which is why I don't mind asking you guys rather than a surgeon but why do heart valve problems require surgery? Surely there is a drug out there that can fix the defected valve or reduce the impact of the defect?

My guess is that OHS has become so routine now that it's easier and less expensive to just surgically manage the problem rather than look for an alternative fix.

Gerard
Ireland

 

[Nancy]

It's actually like a mechanical problem. It's the body's version of a check valve. If you have something with a butterfly valve, and it doesn't close because there is rust or gummy buildup on it, then the liquid that it is supposed to control just flows through it faster than it should and will flood out whatever is on the other side.

In this case, sometimes the cusps are fused together and don't open and close right, in my husband's case his was stenosed and stayed open too much flooding his heart chambers. His doctor called it a "fish mouthed" valve.

So drugs can only help a little with some of the symptoms, but it has to be fixed eventually before it destroys the heart muscle.

 

[Ged1975]

It's actually like a mechanical problem.

I never looked at it that way Nancy.

 

[Duff Man]

I imagine that we'll eventually be able to take a pill for gene therapy to fix it.

 

[Nupur]

Engineer's point of view

Engineer's point of view

Several of my co-workers (all engineers) asked the same question. My answer for them was : It's a hardware bug, cannot be fixed with software fixes. That's another way to look at it : )

Maybe some day in future, they'll have a genetic test and try to fix it ahead of time before myxamatous degeneration sets in (if that's why the valve failed).

 

[Nancy]

Here's a very good video about the heart.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/circulatory-system/MM00636

 

[Tom F.]

Mechanical is correct. You cannot fix a broken leg with a pill, same thing here.

 

[Ross]

I never looked at it that way Nancy.

Think of heart valves like your cars engine valves. If one is gunked up and not closing properly, you'll get a misfire, backfire, and certainly more engine damage. Same exact deal with the heart and it's valves.

 

[Ross]

I imagine that we'll eventually be able to take a pill for gene therapy to fix it.

Your beginning to really scare me. I better not find any test tubes anywhere near you mister.

 

[Ged1975]

This question is just a bit of desperate wishful thinking on my part. Still can't get my head around surgery.

 

[Blanche]

But, then, it was a splendid question.

Navigating through this time is hard and requires a whole lot of consideration.

I wish you the very best.

Blanche

 

[Ged1975]

But, then, it was a splendid question.

Navigating through this time is hard and requires a whole lot of consideration.

I wish you the very best.

Blanche

Thanks Blanche!