The challenge of valvular heart disease: when is it time to operate?
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 15242302.
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Abstract
In patients with valve disease, operating too soon exposes them to unnecessary surgical risk, but waiting too long may lead to cardiac damage and poor outcome. When to refer a patient for surgery depends on which valve is involved, the type of defect (stenosis or regurgitation), the degree of the defect, and the degree of symptoms or functional impairment.