Mitral Heart valve replacement surgery is conducted under general anesthesia and typically lasts about 3 to 5 hours. A large incision is made in the chest and the patient is placed on a heart-lung machine during the surgery. Blood is circulated outside of the body and oxygen is added to it using a heart-lung (cardiopulmonary bypass) machine. The damaged mitral valve is removed and replaced with a plastic or metal mechanical valve, or a bioprosthetic valve, which is usually made from pig tissue.

Mitral valve replacement is a surgical procedure in which a diseased or defective mitral valve in the heart is replaced with a mechanical or tissue valve. Medical conditions which may require this surgery include mitral stenosis (a narrowing of the valve) and mitral insufficiency (in which the valve does not close properly). In most cases, this surgery can improve or relieve symptoms caused by a defective mitral valve, such as chest pain, fainting, and fatigue. 

Aortic valve bypass surgery provides an alternative treatment option to traditional aortic valve replacement for patients who are at a high risk of developing aortic valve stenosis. For these patients, aortic valve bypass surgery offers many advantages that can help them avoid both stroke and cardiac arrest during the procedure. In this video, the Maryland Heart Center's Dr. James Gammie narrates the steps of aortic valve bypass surgery as it is performed on an 83 year old male patient. About the Expert: