Structural Heart

A Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure replaces an aortic valve that is diseased or not working properly by placing an aortic valve made from animal tissue inside the damaged valve. The TAVR procedure is minimally invasive, requiring only a small cut in the skin. It does not require open-heart surgery.

In a healthy heart, valves open and shut tightly during each heartbeat, controlling blood flow through the heart and out to the rest of the body. When the mitral valve doesn’t close well, blood leaks backward and the heart is forced to work harder. This is called mitral valve regurgitation. When this occurs, pressure may build in the lungs, and people may feel tired or short of breath. Mitral clip is a minimally invasive procedure for treating mitral valve regurgitation. During the procedure, doctors access the mitral valve with a thin tube (called a catheter) that is guided through a vein in your leg to reach your heart. A small, implanted clip is attached to your mitral valve to help it close more completely.

All human fetuses have a hole in the wall between the left and right atria called the foramen ovale. This hole allows blood to bypass the lungs while in utero. After birth, the foramen ovale closes, and within a few months it has sealed completely in most humans. When it remains open, it is called a patent (open) foramen ovale (PFO). For the vast majority of the millions of people with a PFO, it is not a problem and does not require any treatment, even though blood is leaking from the right atrium to the left. Problems can arise when that blood contains a blood clot. Using standard cardiac catherization techniques, a catheter can be used to guide the placement of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure device that will close the hole (prevent the flap from opening) in the heart wall. The device becomes a permanent implant.

For patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF), the Watchman procedure may provide an alternative to long-term warfarin (Coumadin®) medication. The Watchman device is inserted into the Left Artrial Appendage (LAA) to prevent blood from flowing in and out of the LAA in order to keep harmful blood clots that can form in this area from entering the blood stream and potentially causing a stroke. By closing off the LAA, the risk of stroke may be reduced, and, over time, patients may be able to stop taking their blood thinner.

A valvuloplasty, also known as balloon valvuloplasty or balloon valvotomy, is a procedure to repair a heart valve that has a narrowed opening.

In this valve condition, the valve flaps (leaflets) may become thick or stiff, and they may fuse together (stenosis). This causes the valve opening to be narrowed and results in reduced blood flow through the valve.

If you have severe valve stenosis we may recommend a valvuloplasty to repair a mitral valve, aortic valve, or pulmonary valves. This procedure involves inserting a long, thin catheter with a balloon on the tip into an artery in your arm or groin. The catheter is guided to the valve using X-ray imaging. The ballon is then inflated, which expands the opening of the valve and separates the leaflets. The balloon is then deflated, and the catheter and balloon are removed.