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Aortic Valve Treatments

Aortic valve replacement

Aortic valve replacement is the most effective treatment for severe aortic stenosis and aortic regurgitation. Inova Heart and Vascular Institute offers the most advanced aortic valve replacement options available. 

Aortic valve replacement surgery is the latest heart operation to be performed as a minimally invasive procedure. Surgeons at Inova Heart and Vascular Institute were among the first in the country to offer the surgery, with numerous benefits for patients. Learn more about minimally invasive aortic valve replacement. 

Inova Heart and Vascular Institute offers the most advanced aortic valve replacement options available: 

• Biological (tissue) valves are usually made from pig or cow tissue. They are easy to insert and generally last 15 to 20 years. Patients who receive tissue valves do not need to take a blood thinning medication, such as Coumadin, for the rest of their lives.

• Stentless valves—the newest type of tissue valve — have no supporting stents or titanium. They feature all the benefits of stented tissue valves, but with a wider opening for enhanced blood flow. At Inova Heart and Vascular Institute, most of the tissue valves used are stentless.

• Mechanical valves are made of titanium, easy to insert and durable, generally lasting more than 20 years. Patients who receive mechanical valves must take a blood thinning medication for the rest of their lives to prevent blood clots.

• A homograft is a valve removed from a donated human heart. It is best for patients with endocarditis, an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart.

• The Ross Procedure replaces a patient’s diseased aortic valve with his or her pulmonary valve, which is then replaced with a pulmonary homograft. It is usually performed on younger patients who want to avoid blood thinning medication.

Aortic valve repair

Aortic valve repair is rare, and may be an option for patients with conditions such as:

• Tears or holes in the valve
• Enlarged aorta (the heart’s main artery)
• Bicuspid aortic valve, a congenital deformity in which the valve has two cusps (or flaps) rather than the normal three

Your Inova cardiac surgeon is your best resource to determine which aortic valve treatment is best suited to your individual situation.