If you or a loved one has been told you need heart valve replacement surgery, it’s natural to have questions — especially about how successful the surgery should be. As a cardiothoracic surgeon experienced in heart valve repair and replacement, I want to help you understand what to expect and how different types of procedures compare.
Understanding heart valve replacement
Your heart has four valves that help blood flow in the right direction. When one of these valves becomes damaged or diseased, it may need to be replaced. There are three main ways to do this:
- Traditional open-heart surgery
- Minimally invasive surgery (including robotic-assisted)
- Catheter-based procedures like TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement)
Each method has its own benefits and risks, and the success rate can vary depending on the type of valve, your overall health, and the experience of your surgical team.
Traditional open-heart surgery
This is the most well-known method. The surgeon makes a large incision in the chest and opens the breastbone to reach the heart. The heart is stopped, and a machine takes over the heart’s pumping function while the valve is replaced.
- Success Rate: For aortic valve replacement, the five-year survival rate is about 94%. For mitral valve replacement, the five-year survival rate is around 64%.
- Best For: Patients who are healthy enough for major surgery and need a long-lasting solution.
- Recovery: Hospital stay is usually 5–7 days, with full recovery taking several weeks to months.
Minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery
In this approach, surgeons use small incisions between the ribs instead of opening the chest. At Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Gainesville, surgeons can use robotic tools to help guide the procedure with great precision.
- Success Rate: Studies show that minimally invasive surgery is just as safe as traditional surgery when done by experienced surgeons.
- Benefits:
- Less pain
- Smaller scars
- Shorter hospital stays
- Faster recovery
- Best For: Patients who are good candidates based on their anatomy and overall health.
Catheter-based procedures
TAVR, or Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, is a newer, less invasive option for replacing the aortic valve. A thin tube called a catheter is inserted through a blood vessel —usually in the leg — and guided to the heart to place the new valve.
- Success Rate: In low-risk patients, TAVR has shown similar 5-year survival rates to open-heart surgery. In one major study, the rate of death or disabling stroke was 15.5% for TAVR vs. 16.4% for surgery after five years.
- Benefits:
- No large chest incision
- Shorter hospital stays (often just 1–2 days)
- Faster return to normal activities
- Best For: Older adults or those who are not good candidates for open surgery.
What affects success?
Several factors can influence how well heart valve replacement surgery goes:
- Your age and overall health: Beyond just your age, what matters most is how well your body can handle the stress of surgery and recovery.
- The type of valve used: Mechanical valves are very durable and can last a lifetime. However, you will need to take blood-thinning medications if you get a mechanical valve replacement. Tissue valves, usually made from cow, pig, horse or donor human tissue, do not pose the same risk of blood clots as mechanical valves. They are not as durable, however, and need to be replaced every 10 or 20 years.
- The experience of your surgical team: An expert team with decades of experience can not only help you decide on the best treatment but also help deliver the best possible outcomes.
- How well you follow recovery instructions: At NGMC Gainesville, recovery from heart surgery begins in the Ronnie Green Cardiac ICU. Learn more here.
Connect with our program
Heart valve replacement surgery — whether traditional, minimally invasive, or catheter-based —is generally very successful. Most patients feel better, live longer, and return to normal activities after recovery. Every heart is different. But with today’s technology and our skilled surgical teams, the outlook for heart valve replacement has never been better.
If you’re considering surgery, the team at Northeast Georgia Physicians Group (NGPG) Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery is here to help you decide on the best course of treatment. Call us at 770-219-7099 or click the button below to view our surgeons.
R. Kyle Thompson, MD, is a cardiothoracic surgeon with Northeast Georgia Physicians Group (NGPG) Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery.