Specialist Heart Procedures

The Orwell Private Cardiothoracic Unit offers a range of specialist heart procedures.  

Aortic valve stenosis

Aortic valve stenosis occurs when the valve begins to stiffen and restrict blood flow from the left ventricle into the body. Symptoms can include breathlessness, fainting and palpitations, and over time chest pain or angina. If left untreated or undiagnosed, it can result in death. Replacing the aortic value through surgery has very good results. Mechanical valves are generally used and don’t deteriorate over time, although patients may need blood thinning drugs to prevent clots forming on the surface of the valve replacement.

Aortic valve regurgitation

Aortic valve regurgitation is when blood flows back into the left ventricle because the valve leading to the aortic is not working properly. This can be due to malformation of the valve or is sometimes the result of an infection or illness. In some cases, it will be an acute emergency while in others it may be controlled with drugs for years. Symptoms include severe shortness of breath, swollen legs, palpitations and, in some cases, heart failure.

Mitral valve regurgitation

Mitral valve regurgitation can cause damage to parts of the heart and lungs, and can mean that less blood is pumped around the body. It involves blood leaking back towards the left atrium and lungs as the left ventricle contracts and pumps blood out of the heart. Symptoms include shortness of breath, swollen ankles and palpitations. Surgery may be necessary to repair the valve or, in more advanced cases, replace it. In minimally invasive surgery, access to the heart is gained through a small incision over the right rib cage.

Mitral valve stenosis

Mitral valve stenosis occurs when the mitral valve stiffens, restricting the flow of blood into the left ventricle. This can cause similar symptoms to mitral valve regurgitation but can lead to damage to the lung arteries and abnormal heart rhythms. Medical treatments include drugs to expel excess water and to control the heart rate; if surgery is necessary it can be done using minimally invasive techniques. Almost all minimally-invasive mitral valve surgery at the Orwell can be done as repairs rather than replacement of the valves; repairing is generally associated with better outcomes for the patient.

Atrial septum defect closure

When the atrial septum - the passages between the two atrium chambers of the heart - does not close properly after birth, long term damage to the circulation can result. This passage can be closed either through using a guide wire inserted through the groin to drag an expanding device into place or through surgical closure, where a patch is sewn into place to block the passage. This can be done as keyhole surgery.

Atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation affects one per cent of the population and causes palpitations - an irregular heartbeart. The feeling of your heart racing and thumping is unpleasant and often frightening. Some people can be successfully treated with drugs but others may need further treatment.

At the Orwell we can offer catheter ablation which seeks to restore the electrical rhythms in your heart to normal and stop your heart beating too fast. A catheter is guided through your blood vessels into your heart and reading of the rhythms taken. When the source of the problem is found, radio waves are used to carefully remove the areas causing the problem. For about 80 per cent of people this will return the electrical activity in the heart to normal.

This procedure is done under a general anaesthetic and can take several hours.