Henrik Lundqvist to Undergo Open Heart Surgery
Henrik Lundqvist had previously announced he would miss the upcoming season due to a heart condition. Today he announced he will undergo open heart surgery.
— Henrik Lundqvist (@hlundqvist35) December 28, 2020
Seeing him go into the specifics of the work he was having done isn’t something I have seen most athletes do, so I wanted to see what the procedure he’s having done entails.
It should go without saying that I am not a doctor, and it is quite possible that Lundqvist’s overall condition is less severe.
According to the Mayo Clinic:
The aortic valve helps keep blood flowing in the correct direction through the heart. It separates the heart’s main pumping chamber (left ventricle) and the main artery that supplies oxygen-rich blood to your body (aorta).
With each contraction of the ventricle, the aortic valve opens and allows blood to flow from the left ventricle into the aorta. When the ventricle relaxes, the aortic valve closes to prevent blood from flowing backward into the ventricle.
When the aortic valve isn’t working properly, it can interfere with blood flow and force the heart to work harder to send blood to the rest of your body.
In a separate article, the clinic mentions:
In aortic valve and root replacement (composite aortic root replacement), your surgeon removes a section of your aorta and your aortic valve. The section of your aorta is replaced with an artificial tube (graft), and your aortic valve is replaced with a mechanical or biological valve. If you have a mechanical valve, you’ll need to take anticoagulant medications for life to prevent blood clots.
Given the severity of this procedure, it is good to know that Lundqvist will have the work done by top medical experts. Any surgery involving the heart is major, let alone a surgery on multiple parts of the heart.
Best wishes to Henrik and his family on the upcoming procedure, and hopefully it is able to give him an overall improved quality of life.
