Heart valve disease is a disease that is unfamiliar to many people, but has a high incidence. If you are living with frequent symptoms of shortness of breath after activity and a constant cough at night, it is necessary to check your heart. Do you know your heart valves? Valves are small but very important parts of the heart. Their main function is to keep blood flowing in the same direction. Under normal conditions, the valves open and close quickly, making a “blat, blat, blat” sound. There are four valves in the human heart: the tricuspid, mitral, pulmonary and aortic valves. Once they become diseased, they can restrict the forward flow of blood or regurgitate blood because the valves do not close tightly, affecting the heart’s ability to deliver blood and nutrients to other organs in the body. Some people have congenital valve lesions, and often these defects can be corrected surgically; others are born with normal valves but later develop valve lesions for a variety of reasons, such as infection (endocarditis) or systemic disease (rheumatic fever), according to Professor Vivian Fan. Other diseases including myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, aortic aneurysm, and hypertension can cause valve disease. With valvular disease, people may experience shortness of breath after activity, inability to lie flat when sleeping, needing a high pillow or semi-recumbent position, persistent coughing at night, and coughing up white mucous sputum or even blood, and dry mouth. With the development of the disease will gradually appear less urine, poor appetite, and large liver ascites, swelling of the lower legs, etc.. At this time, your doctor will recommend some tests, such as X-ray chest X-ray and heart ultrasound to understand the status of the valve lesions and the size of each heart chamber. If the lesions are severe enough, your doctor may recommend valve surgery. Approximately 225,000 valve surgeries are performed worldwide each year, and it is a common procedure. What are the treatments for valve disease In general, treatment for valve disease includes medical, interventional, and surgical treatments, depending on the patient’s condition. Internal treatment begins with etiologic therapy, such as the use of aspirin and glucocorticoids to combat rheumatism, penicillin to combat streptococcal infections, treatment of syphilis and infective endocarditis, and treatment and control of hypertension. Therefore, symptomatic treatment measures such as proper rest, prevention of colds and infections, hypotension, low-salt diet, oxygen, cardiac strengthening and diuresis are extremely important. This can not only prevent and treat complications such as heart failure and slow down the progress of the disease, but also improve the patient’s quality of life. Patients with simple valve stenosis can be treated with interventional therapy. For example, percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty is equivalent to closed detachment. However, many valvular heart diseases are difficult to cure completely without surgery. Surgery is the most fundamental form of treatment for valvular disease and includes valvuloplasty and valve replacement. After successful surgery, heart function will be greatly improved, quality of life will be significantly improved, and in some cases, patients will be able to return to normal work. Valvuloplasty OR valve replacement Valvuloplasty, refers to the direct surgical repair of diseased valves to restore valve function without replacing the own valve with a foreign valve (mechanical or biological). It is primarily performed for degenerative disease in the elderly, simple tendon or papillary muscle dysfunction, and some congenital valve dysfunction. The advantages are better preservation of cardiac function, faster patient recovery after surgery, no need for postoperative anticoagulation, and good quality of life; therefore, it is generally advocated to preserve as many valves as possible that can be restored to function through valvuloplasty. However, valvuloplasty is complex and highly individualized, and some patients may have reappearance of symptoms after surgery (about 10-15 years), which may require a second operation. Valve replacement, which involves replacing the diseased valve with a biological or mechanical valve. The advantage is that mechanical valves have good durability and generally last a lifetime, while the disadvantage is that mechanical valves require lifelong anticoagulation, which can be inconvenient to life and may also cause bleeding or embolic complications. Thus, in general, your doctor will choose which method is better based on a combination of your valve lesion and other factors. What to expect after surgery After discharge from the hospital, your doctor will prescribe several medications, including anticoagulants such as warfarin, cardiac drugs such as digoxin, and diuretics such as tachyphylaxis and ambrisentan. Some need to be taken for life, such as warfarin after mechanical surgery, and some can be discontinued when heart function is restored. Regular outpatient follow-up visits are required to monitor and adjust the dosage of the medications. Exercise and diet can help restore the heart. Strength and energy will improve with a gradual increase in physical activity, including aerobic exercise such as walking, swimming, bicycling, and exercise drills. At the same time, you should limit your intake of saturated fatty acids and fats. Ask your doctor to help you establish a heart-healthy diet. After surgery, always be alert to changes in your body. If you notice a sudden weight gain, or swelling in your ankle, or shortness of breath, you should tell your doctor immediately, and also seek medical attention if there is unusual bleeding.