Aortic Valve Replacement

The patient receives a sedative medication through an IV and is in a deep sleep for the procedure. He or she has a breathing tube and is connected to a ventilator. Once all the tubes and monitors are in place, incisions are made in one or both legs or one of the wrists to access the blood vessels to be used for the grafts. The surgeon makes an incision down the center of the chest, separates the two halves of the breastbone and spreads them apart to expose the heart to replace the valve. Once completed, chest tubes and pacing wires are placed and the sternum is closed.

After surgery, the patient is typically taken to the recovery room before being taken to the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) to be closely monitored. The patient has a breathing tube until they are stable enough to breathe on their own, usually the same day. A nurse will help the patient cough and take deep breaths every two hours to keep mucus from collecting in the lungs and possibly causing pneumonia. The patient will also start with a liquid diet and gradually advance to more solid foods as they are deemed fit to tolerate them. Patients will usually transfer to Open Heart Step Down (OHSD) on post-op day 1.

While on OHSD, if you continue to progress well, the chest tubes and pacing wires will be removed by post-op day 3. Once you are able to ambulate on room air, you are usually ready to go home.