The Valve Used İn The Ozaki Procedure İs Referred To As A “Natural Aortic Valve.” What İs The Reason For This Designation?
The valve used in the Ozaki procedure is called a “natural aortic valve” because it is obtained from the patient’s own tissue and contains natural tissue rather than an artificial valve. Additionally, after surgery, it functions similarly to the patient’s own aortic valve and is the valve most closely resembling the patient’s own aortic valve in terms of function. For this reason, it is referred to as a natural aortic valve. Some reasons and explanations for this definition are provided below:
- The Patient’s Own Tissue: In the Ozaki procedure, the patient’s own tissue is used for aortic valve repair or replacement. This means that the tissue sample taken from the patient’s body forms the basis of the new valve structure. Therefore, the valve is referred to as “natural” because it is made from the patient’s own tissue.
- Adaptation to the Body’s Structure: The natural aortic valve adapts better to the biological structures of the patient’s body. Artificial valves are typically made of metal or synthetic materials or from foreign animal tissue, which the body may not fully accept and may react to. However, valves made using the patient’s own tissue tend to be better accepted by the body.
- Lower Risk of Rejection: Natural aortic valves carry a lower risk of rejection than artificial valves because they are more compatible with the body’s structure. While artificial valves may sometimes be rejected by the body, valves made from the patient’s own tissue are perceived less aggressively by the body.
- Lower Risk of Complications: Natural aortic valves carry a lower risk of complications than artificial valves. Artificial valves can sometimes lead to complications such as arrhythmias, heart block, patient-valve mismatch, and infection, while these risks are virtually non-existent with natural valves.
- Better Function: Ozaki valves, which we refer to as natural aortic valves, function in accordance with heart function and behave like the patient’s original aortic valve. This allows the valve to open and close more naturally and ensures better maintenance of heart function. The blood flow dynamics through the valves are closest to those of a normal aortic valve. They also allow the aortic annulus to stretch during exertion, enabling the body to regulate the necessary blood volume during such activities. Artificial valves, on the other hand, fix the aortic annulus and do not allow it to expand during exertion, so competitive sports and heavy exercise are prohibited in these patients. However, patients with Ozaki valves can comfortably engage in any sport, unlike other valve replacement patients, because their valves and aortic annulus move like the original aortic valve.
- Natural Appearance and Texture: Natural aortic valves have a more natural appearance than artificial valves on echocardiographic examinations. Even a skilled echocardiography technician may not be able to distinguish an Ozaki valve from a normal aortic valve. This has a positive psychological effect and avoids issues such as noise production, which are common with metal valves.
- Better Compatibility: Natural aortic valves provide better compatibility with the body. This allows the valves to integrate more effectively with the body and helps regulate heart function more efficiently.
