valve replacement

My husband, who is 46, had cardio-endocarditis when he was 30, resulting in a porcine valve replacement surgery. Recently he had a check up and was told that his valve is deteriorating and he should have another valve replacement within 3 to 6 months. We would like to know which hospitals and which doctors in the country have the highest success rate with this procedure (we are only interested in the biological valves as we do not like the idea of blood thinners) and if there are any new advances in this field that we should be aware of.

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

Dear Sarah

There have been lots of advances in the field. Minimally invasive approaches result in smaller scars and faster recovery times. Homografts for the aortic valve seem to last longer than porcine valves and do not require blood thinners. The Cleveland Clinic has expertise in these areas and performs more valve surgery than most hospitals in the world. You are welcome to make an appointment here at the number below.

I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.

Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.