After mitral valve repair surgery, you will be moved to the intensive care unit (ICU). Within four to five hours after surgery, we will remove the breathing tube that was inserted during surgery.

You will remain in the ICU overnight while we monitor your heart function and other vital signs. The next morning, you will be moved to a regular hospital room. Most patients are able to go home three or four days after surgery.

For three months after surgery, you will take blood-thinning medications to reduce the risk of stroke. Once you are home, it will take about six weeks for your breastbone to fully heal and for you to regain strength in your upper body. You will be able to walk, and you are expected to walk at least a mile each day for the first month after surgery.

Anyone with valve disease, replacement or repair, must notify their doctor if another invasive procedure is preformed after surgery, such as dental work or a colonoscopy. Your doctor will prescribe preventive antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection while the mitral valve heals.

You will return to the surgery clinic for follow-up four weeks after surgery. If your valve is functioning correctly at that time, no further surgery follow-ups are needed. You will still need to have periodic checkups with your cardiologist.