Heart Valve Transplant

Understanding Heart Valve Transplant

Heart valves are important structures that maintain a one-way flow of blood, preventing backflow between the heart’s chambers and major blood vessels as the heart beats. Congenital conditions such as Tetralogy of Fallot, or damage caused by disease or infection, can cause a heart valve to become defective or malformed. When this occurs, the normal flow of blood through the heart is disrupted, and patients can experience a range of debilitating symptoms such as breathlessness, palpitations, tiredness and dizzy spells. These symptoms can occur both at rest and during physical activity, significantly affecting quality of life and limiting a person’s ability to carry out everyday tasks.

In such cases, a heart valve transplant may be required. Donated human heart valves serve as an alternative to mechanical or animal-derived (bioprosthetic) valves for this life-saving procedure.

Heart Valve Transplant

Preparing for heart valve transplant

Prior to a heart valve transplant, patients will undergo a series of consultations with their medical team. During these consultations, the cardiologist will explain why a heart valve transplant is recommended. Following this, the surgeon will guide patients through the preparation process for surgery. Patients are encouraged to ask questions throughout to ensure that they gain a full understanding of the procedure.

Assessment before heart valve transplant

Patients will undergo an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) to assess their condition. Following this, the cardiologist and surgical team will discuss the most suitable treatment options and valve choices for each patient. Unlike organ transplants, a human heart valve transplant does not require blood typing. Instead, a suitable valve is selected by matching the donor and recipient annulus diameter.

Transplant procedure

A heart valve transplant is performed following open-heart surgery protocols.

The procedure typically takes at least four hours, though the duration may vary depending on individual cases. Following successful surgery without post-operative complications, most patients are discharged within a week.

Life after transplant

A heart valve transplant offers significant improvements to patients’ quality of life. After the procedure, patients typically find their previous symptoms improve or disappear entirely, allowing them to gradually resume a normal, active lifestyle.  Unlike organ transplant recipients, heart valve recipients do not require immunosuppressants. They also do not usually require long-term anticoagulation, unlike those with mechanical valve replacements.

As part of their recovery journey, patients require regular follow-up consultations with both their surgeon and cardiologist to track their recovery and safeguard their health.

FAQs

What are the advantages of using a human heart valve for transplantation?

Compared to mechanical or bioprosthetic valves, human heart valves closely resemble the recipient's own valves, providing more natural heart function and favourable haemodynamic performance (how efficiently blood flows through the valve). Their low thrombogenicity (lower risk of clot formation) means recipients do not usually require long-term anticoagulation, making them a suitable option for patients who are unable to take or prefer to avoid lifelong medication.

Human heart valves also carry a lower risk of infection compared to artificial valves, which can be beneficial in conditions such as infective endocarditis. In selected cases, they can also be used to reconstruct damaged surrounding heart structures during surgery. They have been shown to be durable, with many functioning effectively for 10 years or more. These qualities make them a preferred choice for certain patients, including younger patients, those with infection, and women of childbearing age.

Where do the donated heart valves come from?

Human heart valves are life-saving gifts from deceased donors, as they can only be donated after death. Before a heart valve donation can occur, potential donors undergo thorough medical screening to determine their suitability for donation.