How many years can live a person who has installed an artificial valve in the heart? This question is of interest to many patients and their relatives, when it comes to such operations. Life expectancy of patients with artificial heart valve, an average of 20 years. However, doctors say that the service life of the valve is about 300 years old, and by itself, the valve does not lengthen, and not shorten life. Often people who have lived 20 years with an artificial valve in heart don't die because of cardiovascular problems.

When you put an artificial valve

The doctors compare the heart valve with a conventional door. When a door swells or becomes crooked it has to be repaired. Same thing with the heart valve. There are three types of damage to the heart valve when you need it is a serious treatment: a narrowing or adhesion (slows down blood flow, deteriorates the power of the heart and oxygen), extension or hyperextension (leaking and increases the load on the body), the combination of these two problems.
One should not panic in diagnosis of heart failure. The valve is not always replaceable. Sometimes its just rekonstruiruet.

The replacement heart valve is resorted to when its function becomes limited. The reason for this can be atherosclerosis, infection, impaired development of tissues, etc.

Types of heart valves

Today, doctors operate on two types of artificial valves: mechanical and biological. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages.

Mechanical is a kind of denture which is intended to replace the functions of natural heart valve of a human. The main task of the valve to conduct the blood through the heart and produce her back. Mechanical valves are placed when the function of the native heart valve is not restored.

Tests modern artificial valves determine their service life of 50,000 years when placed in conditions of accelerated deterioration. This means that if a person he is accustomed, until that moment, how much a person is measured.
You should remember only one thing that all artificial valves require additional support and anticoagulants that thin the blood to the heart is not formed clots. Also have regular blood tests.

Biological valves prostheses are created from animal tissues. It is very common for them to take the heart valve of a pig. Naturally, he previously is processed to become suitable for implantation in the human body. Biological valves compared with mechanical, significantly inferior to them in durability.

What complications can occur with transplant valves

Doctors say: if the patient just got to a doctor, the risk of complications is reduced to almost zero. In all other cases much worse than failure to comply with medical recommendations postoperative period than the surgery itself.

The patient should be more cautious with their health and to comply with all medical recommendations: the regime and diet, and, of course, the medication. In this case, the patient even with an artificial valve will live a long time.