A multidisciplinary approach to heart valve disease treatment
Heart valve disease occurs when heart valves fail to open and close properly. If this condition is left untreated, valve disease may lead to arrhythmias and congestive heart failure.
In addition to medication, valve disease treatment options at our heart hospital in Dallas include open-heart and minimally invasive surgical procedures using smaller incisions which usually means less pain and quicker healing time. Valve repair and valve replacement are common surgeries. The surgeon will decide to repair or replace a heart valve based on whether the valve is diseased, whether it is narrowed or leaky, and the degree of any calcium buildup.
At the Center for Valve Disorders, part of Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas, a multidisciplinary team of interventional cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons and imaging specialists on the medical staff diagnose and treat patients with valve disease.
Aortic valve procedures
Cardiac surgeons on the medical staff at our heart center in Dallas perform a wide range of open-heart and minimally invasive surgical procedures to address aortic valve disease.
Aortic valve repair
Medication and valve repair are also treatment options for aortic valve conditions, along with valve replacement. Valve repair at our Dallas heart hospital is usually open-heart surgery, where physicians attempt to fix a malfunctioning valve depending on the extent of valve leakage or calcium buildup. Heart surgery is not commonly performed on a patient with a diseased aortic valve.
Aortic valve replacement
Traditionally, a heart valve replacement was considered open-heart surgery. A surgeon would remove an entire defective valve, such as an aortic valve, and sew in a new one. However, with the advent of minimally invasive valve replacement surgery today, heart surgeons at our heart center in Dallas use smaller incisions usually resulting in less pain and quicker healing time than open procedures.
Mitral valve disease
When the mitral valve does not work properly, your heart must work harder resulting in an enlarged, weakened heart.
The mitral valve, one of the heart’s four valves, connects the left atrium to the left ventricle. Within the mitral valve are flaps, called leaflets, which open and close to allow or restrict blood flow in only one direction. The opening of the flaps allows blood to flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle. In turn, the flaps close to prevent the backflow of blood into the left atrium.
There are three types of mitral valve disease: mitral valve prolapse, mitral stenosis, and mitral regurgitation.
Tricuspid valve surgery
Located between the upper and lower right chambers of the heart—the atrium and the ventricle—the tricuspid valve helps control blood flow, moving it in the appropriate direction. When the right ventricle contracts and blood leaks backward through the tricuspid valve, the condition is called tricuspid regurgitation, and it could lead to enlargement of the right atrium due to increased blood pressure.
Surgical treatment options for tricuspid valve regurgitation at our heart hospital in Dallas include valve repair using minimally invasive approaches and open-heart surgery.
Minimally invasive valve surgery
MitraClip®
At the Center for Valve Disorders, surgeons perform a minimally-invasive procedure to treat mitral regurgitation for patients who are at increased surgical risk. The MitraClip® device, a small clip attached to the mitral valve, allows the valve to close more completely, restoring normal blood flow in the heart.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
One technique for treating heart valve disease is transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), an advanced treatment option. Unlike open-heart surgery, TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure. Using this approach, a surgeon replaces a damaged aortic valve without removing the old, damaged valve, instead positioning a replacement valve into the aortic valve's place. Similar to a stent put in an artery, the valve is directly delivered with a catheter.
Transcatheter mitral valve surgery
Transcatheter mitral valve surgery is a minimally-invasive treatment option for heart patients suffering from mitral regurgitation when the mitral valve closes incompletely during the heart's ventricular contraction. This procedure can be useful in restoring healthy blood flow.
Transluminal balloon valvuloplasty surgery
Transluminal balloon valvuloplasty is a minimally invasive surgery option to repair a stenotic mitral valve, a narrowing or obstruction of the valve that prevents it from opening properly. Balloon valvuloplasty may not be an option for patients with severe coronary artery disease.
Surgery for infective endocarditis
Valve conditions may develop due to illnesses, such as infective endocarditis. Also called bacterial endocarditis, this infection is caused by bacteria that enter the bloodstream and settle in the heart lining, a heart valve or a blood vessel. Although it is uncommon, some people with heart conditions have a greater risk of developing it. Treatment usually consists of high doses of intravenous (IV) antibiotics initially.
If antibiotics fail to cure the infection and heart valve damage has occurred, surgery may be needed to fix the valve. The type of surgery will vary depending on the location of the infection, the extent of heart and valve damage, and the presence of complications such as heart failure or blood clots.