If you are unable to work because of heart valve surgery you may be able to make a TPD claim for a lump sum from the Total & Permanent Disablement insurance contained within your superannuation fund. There is no necessity for you to have been involved in an accident or to have suffered a work related injury to make a TPD claim. If you suffer from total and permanent disability, you may be able to make a TPD claim in addition to receiving your super early as a result of your condition. Our TPD claim olicitors can advise you in detail as to the requirements of a successful submission, they will prepare all relevant paperwork and will obtain full supporting documentation. Our super lawyers will give you advice on the likely success of your claim to a super fund, without further obligation. It costs nothing to use our advice service.

Our TPD claim solicitors use a risk free no win no fee arrangement.

We have offices situated in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Darwin.

Heart valve Surgery - TPD

Heart valve surgery is able to correct heart valve diseases. There are several diseases of the heart valve that require surgery. Surgery to correct heart valve problems is tricky and involves open heart surgery. There are several problems that a heart valve can have. It can be unable to open completely, leading to back up of blood behind the blocked artery. There can also be problems with a leaky valve which causes blood to back flow through the valve. If a valve does not open properly, it is called “stenosis”. If the valve is leaky, it is called “regurgitation”. Both problems require surgery if they should get too severe and do not respond to medication to control the problem.

The heart valve surgery repairs or replaces the damaged valve. During a repair, the valve is mended during a surgical procedure. Areas of scarring can be removed and the valve can be approximated into its normal shape. If the valve is replaced, a pig’s valve can be used to replace the valve or a completely artificial valve can be used to replace the valve. When repairing a valve, a ring may be sewn around the valve in order to make it tighter. The valve can be cut, separated or shortened in order to make it work better.

There are two types of valves used to replace the abnormal valve. A mechanical valve is one made from synthetic materials and requires the use of anticoagulant medications for the rest of your life because you can get blood clots on the valve that can break off and cause a stroke or other area of infarction from blood clots on the valve.

Biological heart valves can be used from pig donors, cow donors, and human donors. You don’t need to take anticoagulant medication with biological valves but they don’t last as long as mechanical valves and will need replacement within a few years. You can have one valve replaced or several valves replaced at a time but the replacement of several valves can be more dangerous.

The doctor reaches your heart by making an incision in the chest. The incisions can be smaller than that for most open heart surgeries. The incision made depends on the valve to be replaced and on the skill of the surgeon. The heart must be stopped in order to do the surgery properly. You will be placed on a heart lung machine that circulates blood in your body while your heart is at rest. The machine that performs the bypass will be connected at the level of the heart or through blood vessels in your groin. The heart is restarted after the surgery and takes over the function of the heart and blood pressure.

Once the incision is made, the heart is opened through the heart muscle or through the aorta. The aortic valve is best replaced or repaired through an aortic incision and a mitral valve can be fixed through that entry as well. The valve can be replaced or repaired through an incision in the heart near where the valve is located. The damaged valve is fixed through the incision or the valve is removed and an artificial valve is stitched into place through the opening. The opening is then sutured closed and the rest of the chest is closed as well.

Complications of heart valvular surgery include blood clots forming on the valve, excessive bleeding at the time of surgery or infection on the heart valve called bacterial endocarditis. The blood clot problem can occur at the time of the surgery or can occur later, as blood clots build up on the heart valve and break off, causing stroke or other damage to the body.

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