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Bookmark & shareOpen heart surgery › The operation
After David had been anaesthetised, surgeon Francis Wells opened up the chest. The team then put David on bypass by diverting blood to a machine, which performed the function of the heart and the lungs. Next they stopped the heart and opened it to gain access to the damaged mitral valve. Mr Wells then opened the left atrium and prepared the valve for repair. After replacing the damaged cords, he tested the valve. Here he found that it was still leaking. Mr Wells needed to replace more cords than he had originally thought.
After stitching in the new cords, he tested the repair again and found that the valve was functioning properly and no longer leaked.
The end result was excellent. David came off bypass and the heart was started again.
A pick of your best questions with answers, including some answers given specially for this website.
Tools of the trade
The surgical team used a variety of tools during the operation. Here is a selection.
Denver Wells retractor
After opening the chest, it is kept open with a Denver Wells retractor. This contraption was invented by Mr Wells himself.
Heart lung machine
This machine is used to temporarily take over the function of the heart and lungs during surgery. It adds oxygen to the blood and maintains the circulation around the body during the period that the heart is stopped.
Annuloplasty ring
This semi-rigid ring is used to strengthen the mitral valve and prevent it from buckling into the wrong position.
