Recovery guide Procedures explained
Understanding heart valve repair: a guide for patients
Heart valves are one-way doors. When one stops sealing or stops opening properly, the heart works harder than it should — and the fix is either to repair the door or to replace it.
Posthorax Australia · Reviewed 30 July 2026 · About a 4 minute read
Repair or replacement
Surgeons generally prefer repair where it is possible: keeping your own tissue means no long-term anticoagulation in most cases, and preserved valve function. Repair techniques include reshaping the leaflets, reinforcing the ring around the valve, or shortening supporting cords.
Where the valve is too damaged, it is replaced. Whether repair is feasible depends on which valve, what is wrong with it, and what the surgeon finds — which is why the plan is sometimes confirmed only in theatre.
Mechanical or tissue valves
A mechanical valve is durable and rarely needs replacing, but requires lifelong anticoagulation with regular monitoring. A tissue valve, usually from bovine or porcine tissue, usually does not require long-term anticoagulation but has a finite lifespan and may need replacing later.
The choice weighs your age, other conditions, whether you can manage anticoagulation, and your own preference. It is a conversation, not a formula — ask your surgeon to explain the trade-off in your case.
How it is done
Most valve surgery is performed through a median sternotomy with the heart temporarily stopped. Minimally invasive and catheter-based approaches are appropriate for some patients — TAVI, for example, delivers a replacement aortic valve without opening the chest.
If your surgery was through the breastbone, recovery follows the sternal timeline: six to eight weeks of bone healing, with lifting limits and chest support in that window.
Afterwards
Alongside the usual sternotomy recovery, valve patients have specifics to keep in mind. If you are on anticoagulation, monitoring and interactions matter. Dental and surgical procedures may require antibiotic cover to protect the valve — ask your cardiologist for clear written advice.
Report fever, night sweats or unexplained illness to your team; these are taken seriously in valve patients.
Questions patients ask
+Is heart valve repair better than replacement?
Where it is possible, repair is often preferred because it preserves your own valve and usually avoids lifelong anticoagulation. Whether repair is feasible depends on the valve and the damage, and is sometimes confirmed only during surgery.
+What is the difference between a mechanical and a tissue valve?
Mechanical valves are very durable but require lifelong anticoagulation and monitoring. Tissue valves usually avoid long-term anticoagulation but have a finite lifespan and may need replacing later.
+How long is recovery after valve surgery?
If performed through the breastbone, the sternum takes six to eight weeks to heal, with restrictions during that period. Energy commonly takes three to six months, and cardiac rehabilitation runs across that time.
Who writes this, and what it is not
Written by Posthorax Australia, the Australian distributor of the POSTHORAX® range, for patients and families after cardiac surgery. General recovery guidance reflects standard postoperative practice; claims about the device come from the trials cited on our clinical evidence page.
We are not your treating team and this is not medical advice. Where anything here conflicts with your surgeon, GP, physiotherapist or cardiac rehabilitation service, follow them.
Reviewed 30 July 2026 · Corrections: sales@posthorax.com.au