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Updated: Mar 30, 2026

Technique and Patient Selection Criteria of Right Anterior Mini-Thoracotomy for Minimal Access Aortic Valve Replacement
Published on: March 26, 2018
[Indications for surgery for valvular heart disease]
Marcel Halbach1, Thorsten Wahlers2, Stephan Baldus1
1Klinik III für Innere Medizin, Uniklinik Köln.
Insights
Chronic valvular heart disease is rising due to aging populations. Treatment focuses on valve repair or replacement, with new catheter-based options emerging alongside traditional surgery.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Geriatrics
- Medical Technology
Context:
- Increasing prevalence of chronic valvular heart disease (VHD) linked to demographic shifts and aging.
- Age-related primary aortic/mitral valve diseases and secondary mitral/tricuspid valve diseases are significant concerns.
- Current medical management offers only symptomatic relief; no drugs provide prognostic benefit.
Purpose:
- To outline current indications for surgical intervention in prevalent adult valvular heart diseases.
- To provide up-to-date recommendations for aortic stenosis, and aortic, mitral, and tricuspid regurgitation.
- To highlight the evolution from open-heart surgery to interventional catheter-based therapies.
Summary:
- Valvular heart disease management is critical, especially in older adults.
- Surgical repair or replacement are primary treatment modalities for significant VHD.
- Interventional catheter-based therapies represent a significant advancement in VHD treatment.
Impact:
- Informs clinical decision-making for VHD treatment.
- Facilitates adoption of advanced interventional techniques.
- Improves patient outcomes for valvular heart conditions.
Abstract:
Due to the demographic change, chronic valvular heart disease becomes increasingly important - especially age-related primary diseases of the aortic and mitral valve as well as secondary diseases of the mitral and tricuspid valve caused by other age-related cardiac disorders. Medical treatment is limited to symptom relief by use of diuretics. Specific drugs or drugs with a prognostic benefit are not available. Thus, valve repair or replacement are the key options for treatment of relevant valvular heart disease. While open heart surgery was the only approach for a long time, interventional, catheter-based therapies have evolved in the last decade. This article describes up-to-date recommendations on indications for surgery for the most prevalent valvular heart diseases in adults - aortic stenosis, and aortic, mitral and tricuspid regurgitation).
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