Aortic Valve Replacement: Why a Small Incision?

Aortic valve replacement is performed using 3 different methods:

Sternotomy (open-heart surgery)

TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation)

Closed-technique valve replacement (or repair) through a small incision under the armpit

Currently, the most up-to-date, effective and recommended method is the small-incision technique.

SO WHY A SMALL INCISION?

First of all, patients prefer this method because the incision and the trauma are smaller. Of course, the final decision is made by the doctor

It is performed through an incision of about 3–4 cm. The heart valve is completely removed and replaced with a mechanical or biological valve. The operation is quite short, lasting about 1.5–2 hours

When a mechanical valve is used, the patient will not need another valve replacement for the rest of their life

No bone is cut, which reduces risks such as infection and bleeding

Recovery is very fast