Every few days, I see a picture or image on the Internet that REALLY captures my attention. Many times, those pictures are diagrams and illustrations that relate to heart valve surgery.
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As I remember it, before my aortic valve replacement and pulmonary valve replacement surgery, I had a difficult time grasping what actually occurs during the operation.
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That said, I have included many pictures, drawings and images in this blog (and in my book) to help you better contemplate what occurs during the pre- and post-operative heart valve replacement or heart valve repair experience.
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As I remember it, before my aortic valve replacement and pulmonary valve replacement surgery, I had a difficult time grasping what actually occurs during the operation.
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That said, I have included many pictures, drawings and images in this blog (and in my book) to help you better contemplate what occurs during the pre- and post-operative heart valve replacement or heart valve repair experience.
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Your responses have so far been very positive. So, I am going to continue posting many more pictures - including human heart diagram, animated anatomy of heart functioning, mitral valve replacement diagram and more.
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Above, you will see a very interesting diagram of the patient’s chest following the incision and median sternotomy - the sternum is already broken. As you can see, the surgeon now has full access to operate on the heart once the patient is placed on the heart-lung machine (bypass) if required. Then, the heart can be stopped, cooled and then fixed!
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