Who this page is for
- Heart valve disease (a narrow or leaking valve) for which surgery or a catheter procedure has been suggested
- Aortic disease, cardiomyopathy or coronary artery disease where heart surgery is being discussed
- Congenital heart disease in children or adults
What assessment and treatment usually involve
Heart valve diseases are problems affecting one or more of the four valves of the heart. Doctors ask about symptoms, listen to the heart and order imaging tests. Medicine may treat symptoms or stop the condition getting worse, and surgery or another procedure may repair or replace a faulty valve.1
Valves can be replaced in open-heart surgery or with a minimally invasive procedure using a catheter; TAVR (also called TAVI) replaces the aortic valve to treat aortic stenosis. Your team of doctors works with you to decide whether a mechanical or a biological valve is best, and after repair or replacement you still need certain medicines and regular check-ups.2
Open-heart surgery, the most common type of valve replacement, is done under general anaesthetic; sometimes smaller cuts in the chest are possible. TAVI is done with sedation and local anaesthetic, through a thin tube passed through a blood vessel in the leg, arm or chest, and usually takes 1 to 2 hours.3
What YituCare coordinates at each step
- Free enquiry Tell us what you need on the form or on WhatsApp. Our first reply, within 24 hours, tells you the city, the type of hospital and the department that fit your request.
- Case review & hospital match A coordinator organises your records, translates a summary and asks 1–2 departments at hospitals we work with whether they can accept your case. The written reply comes within 3–5 working days of receiving your complete records, names the hospital and includes the hospital’s estimate.
- Appointments and dates We request the consultation, tests or admission with the hospital and keep you informed; the hospital confirms the appointment.
- In China Airport pickup, hotel arrival and hospital transfers, and, if you book it, a bilingual companion on hospital days.
- After treatment We collect your discharge documents, arrange translations you need and pass follow-up questions between you and the hospital team after you return home.
Because recovery after heart surgery takes weeks, we plan accommodation for a companion and the return journey with the hospital team’s advice.
Records to prepare
- A short summary of your condition and treatment so far, or a recent letter from your doctor
- Recent test results and reports, with dates
- A list of the medicines you take now, and any allergies
- Echocardiogram reports, and images if you have them
- ECG, CT or angiogram reports
- A list of heart medicines, including blood thinners
Length of stay to plan for
- People usually spend about a week in hospital after a heart valve replacement, or 2 to 3 days after TAVI.4
- Full recovery usually takes 2 to 3 months. Heavy lifting should be avoided for 3 months and driving for at least 4 weeks; a cardiac rehabilitation programme may be offered.4
Case Review & Hospital Match
We do not publish treatment prices: they depend on the hospital’s review of your records. The hospital’s estimate comes through the Case Review & Hospital Match (USD 129), whose written reply names the hospital and sets out what the hospital proposes.
YituCare coordinates; it does not diagnose or prescribe. The hospital’s doctors make all clinical decisions and confirm appointments, and medical fees are paid directly to the hospital.
Questions about this treatment
Is a catheter valve procedure (TAVI) possible instead of open surgery?+
It depends on your valve, your health and the team’s assessment. Ask the cardiac surgery team; the case review sends them your records and asks what they propose.
Will I need medicines after valve surgery?+
Public health guidance says people still need certain medicines and regular check-ups after valve repair or replacement. We ask the hospital for a written follow-up plan to take home.
How do I start?+
Send a free enquiry on the form or on WhatsApp. If you already have recent records and want to know which hospital can accept your case and what it would cost, book the case review.
When do I learn the hospital’s and the doctor’s names?+
Our first reply tells you the city, the type of hospital and the department. The hospital’s name is given when you book a paid service: the case review’s written reply names the hospital. For a specialist opinion, the doctor’s name and hospital are given after payment.