421 - Aortic Valve Replacements

AorticValveReplacements Alex Burke , cst L E A R N I N G O B J E C T I V E S s Recall the history of aortic valves s Describe the anatomy and pathophysiology affected by these types of procedures s Compare and contrast between a tissue valve and a mechanical valve s Review the procedural steps for this operation s List the equipment and instrumentation needed for an AVR I n comparison with other procedures, this procedure is relatively new having only been around for about 68 years. However, for more than 60,000 people in the United States 3 , an AVR is as important for them now as it was for the first few dozen people to undergo this procedure back in mid-1900s. A O R T I C V A L V E : A N A T O M Y A N D P A T H O P H Y S I O L O G Y The aortic valve is one of the four valves in the heart that consists of three leaflets. It is anatomically positioned in the aortic root which comes off of the left ventricle. During systole the aortic valve opens to allow blood to flow through the aorta to the rest of the body. During diastole the aortic valve closes to prevent blood from regurgitating into the left ventricle, referred to as aortic regurgitation or aortic insufficiency, that can lead to heart failure, heart rhythm abnormalities, infection or death. 7 Aortic stenosis is a condition in which the aortic valve narrows forc- An aortic valve replacement (AVR) is a procedure in which theexistingaortic valve tissue is removedand replacedwith one of two types of valves: a tissue valve or a mechanical valve. Replacing the aortic valve will result in a decrease of aortic regurgitation and an increase of blood flow through the aorta. JANUARY 2019 | The Surgical Technologist | 13