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Yale-New Haven Hospital Heart and Vascular Center’s Valve Surgery Program is nationally known for its excellence. It is the first center in Connecticut — and one of the first in the country -- to perform mitral valve repairs, beginning in 1984.
At Yale-New Haven, emphasis on the preservation of the mitral valve, though technically more demanding for the surgeon, is preferable to replacement in appropriate patients because there are fewer complications.As with all cardiac surgery, valve replacement and repair require the skilled hands of expert surgeons with years of experience. Our surgeons are the top in their field, and they have some of the highest success rates and lowest instances of complications in the country.
A team of experts
Our physicians have vast experience with complex combined valve procedures, including
Minimally invasive surgery
Most isolated mitral valve repairs are done with minimally invasive surgery, which means that incisions are smaller and patients recover faster with less pain and blood loss. The incision is about 2 to 3 inches, compared to a 6-to-8-inch incision in traditional open surgery. Patients usually feel better quickly and can drive after two weeks.
Repair rather than replace
Our physicians feel strongly that repairing a mitral valve is usually better for the patient than replacing it. At Yale-New Haven, we replace more than 70 percent of valves for patients, far higher than the rate of replacement (40-45 percent) at other centers across the country.
Yale-New Haven surgeons employ the latest techniques, allowing access to the diseased valve through a window in the breast bone by using microscopic tools, computers and tiny cameras. The chest wall isn’t disturbed.
Sabet W. Hashim, MD Director, Cardiac Valve Surgery