The Heart Valve Center is dedicated to providing innovative and collaborative approaches for the treatment of the most complex vascular conditions. There are a number of possible treatments including:

• Lifestyle changes can ease a minor valve problem.
  
• Some medications can alleviate symptoms and allow for a delay in surgery
• Surgery is required for more serious valve problems.

There are two types of surgery:

HEART VALVE REPAIR:

Heart valve repair is a surgical or Minimally Invasive Procedure that corrects a heart valve that is not functioning properly. Heart valve repair usually involves the heart valve leaflets that open and close to pump blood through the heart. In some cases, your doctor may find that repairing your heart valve is the best way to treat your heart valve disease.

HEART VALVE REPLACEMENT:

When repair is not an option, replacing your damaged heart valve may be the most effective treatment for your condition. Heart Valve Replacement is a surgical procedure that replaces a damaged heart. Our surgeons have broad experience in replacing damaged valves with artificial or bovine valves, particularly in patients with severe valve disease.

Interventional Cardiologists within the Heart Valve Program are leaders in catheter-based approaches to valve disease and perform a range of procedures, including:

• Mitral and aortic valvuloplasty for stenosis
  
• Insertion of closure devices for prosthetic paravalvular leaks
• Clinical trials for minimally invasive replacement of aortic valves or repair for mitral valve regurgitation
• Our expert cardiac surgeons offer the following open surgical procedures:
• Valve repair surgery (mitral, aortic and tricuspid valve reconstruction)
• Valve replacement surgery (mechanical and bioprosthetic valve replacement, including homografts and stentless prostheses)
• Annular enlargement procedures for aortic valve replacement in small hearts
• Valve-sparing aortic root replacement
• Apico-aortic conduits for aortic stenosis