Cardiology in Lagos
Heart valve surgery in Nigeria
A written all-in price after a consultation from ₦50,000 in Lagos, so you know the total before anything is booked.
How the price is set
Consultation, then a written price
From ₦50,000
Consultant surgical opinion
- The cardiac surgeon, the assistant, the anaesthetist and the perfusionist who runs the heart-lung machine
- Theatre time
- Intensive care for the planned first days
- Your bed, nursing care and medication for the planned stay
Your written price covers the lines above, agreed before you pay.
Heart Valve Surgery at Mezo Health in Lagos, Nigeria is priced in a written quote after a consultation from ₦50,000, because the right operation and its cost depend on what the surgeon finds. The quote covers theatre time, intensive care for the planned first days, and reviews after discharge. Prices last checked 3 November 2026.
When a heart valve is badly narrowed or leaking, surgery repairs it or replaces it with a mechanical valve or one made from animal tissue. Most valve operations are open heart surgery, using a heart-lung machine. Some older or frailer people can have a valve placed through a tube in the leg (TAVI) instead. In Nigeria, a common cause in young adults is rheumatic heart disease, valve damage left by rheumatic fever in childhood. Mezo does not run a heart or brain surgery unit. The surgeon who reviews your case tells you where the operation can be done safely, in Nigeria or elsewhere, and why.
Also called: Heart valve replacement, Valve repair, Mitral valve replacement, Aortic valve replacement, Open heart surgery for valves, TAVI
Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana
How the price is set
Written quote after consultation
Consultant surgical opinion: from ₦50,000
There is no published price. A surgeon reviews your scans and reports first and writes a plan. A written quote follows only once a hospital team that does this operation has agreed to take your case, and it does not move without your written agreement.
What your written quote covers
- The cardiac surgeon, the assistant, the anaesthetist and the perfusionist who runs the heart-lung machine
- Theatre time
- Intensive care for the planned first days
- Your bed, nursing care and medication for the planned stay
- Reviews after discharge
Not in the quote
- The first consultation
- Echocardiogram, angiogram and other tests before surgery
- Blood-thinning medicine and its monitoring after discharge
- Unplanned intensive care or a return to theatre
What decides your quote
- Repair or replacement, and how many valves
- A mechanical or tissue valve
- Open surgery or TAVI
- Days in intensive care
Most HMO plans cap or exclude major heart and brain surgery. Bring your HMO number to the first consultation and the desk will ask what your plan covers. You are told the cash position before anything is booked.
How we pick your surgeon
Every Mezo surgeon is MDCN verified and approved for this operation before they take a case. You meet them before you pay.
Is it right for you
Who this is for
A good fit
- Severe narrowing or leaking of a heart valve on an echocardiogram, with symptoms
- Severe valve disease without symptoms, where the heart is starting to weaken
- Valve damage from rheumatic heart disease or infection of the valve
When it is not the right answer
- Chest pain, sudden breathlessness or fainting today: go to an emergency department now
- Mild valve disease, which is watched with regular echocardiograms
What happens
The pathway, step by step
- 1
Cardiology and surgical review₦50,000
A specialist reads your echocardiogram and reports and explains what they show.
- 2
Tests before surgery
Often an angiogram of the heart arteries, and dental checks to lower the risk of valve infection.
- 3
A written plan
Repair or replacement, the valve type, and which cardiac team can do it.
- 4
Finding the operating team
Mezo helps arrange the referral to a cardiac surgery team that agrees to take the case.
- 5
A written quote
From that team, in writing, before admission.
- 6
The operation and recovery
Usually about a week in hospital, starting in intensive care.
- 7
Follow-up₦25,000
Echocardiograms and, with a mechanical valve, blood-thinning medicine checked for life.
Afterwards
Recovery, realistically
First week
Intensive care for a day or two, then the ward. Up and walking with help from the day after surgery.
Weeks 1 to 6
Tiredness is common. No driving for at least four weeks.
Up to 3 months
No heavy lifting while the breastbone heals. Full recovery usually takes two to three months.
Lifelong
A mechanical valve needs warfarin for life, with regular blood tests. Tell any doctor or dentist you have a valve.
Risks you should be told about
- Bleeding
- Infection of the wound or the new valve
- Irregular heart rhythm, sometimes needing a pacemaker
- Stroke
- Bleeding problems from blood-thinning medicine
Every operation carries risk. A surgeon who lists none is not being straight with you. Yours will go through these with you before you consent.
Questions people ask
Mechanical or tissue valve: which is better?
A mechanical valve lasts longer but needs warfarin for life. A tissue valve avoids lifelong warfarin but may wear out and need replacing. The choice depends on your age, plans for pregnancy and whether you can have regular blood tests.
Can a woman with a mechanical valve get pregnant?
Yes, but warfarin and pregnancy need careful planning with a cardiologist and an obstetrician before conception. Say so before the valve is chosen.
Can heart valve surgery be done in Nigeria?
Yes, by cardiac surgery teams in Nigeria. Whether your operation should be done here or abroad depends on the case and the team, and the surgeon reviewing your case will tell you honestly.
Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed . This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
Sources and further reading
The guidelines and patient information this page is checked against. Care in Nigeria follows the same evidence; what differs is the price and where it is done.
- Heart valve disease. NHS. Patient information.
- Recovering from a heart valve replacement. NHS. Patient information.
- Rheumatic heart disease. World Health Organization, 2025. Fact sheet.
Links last checked 3 November 2026.
Keep reading
More on Mezo
Related on Mezo
Other treatments
Related health guides
Prices shown are in naira and were last checked on 3 November 2026. A “from” price is the all-in starting price for the standard case. Every operation is confirmed in a written quote after your consultation, because the right operation for you, and its cost, depend on what the surgeon finds.