Heart Valve Disease
What is heart valve disease?
Heart valve abnormalities are common and usually not severe. Left untreated, however, they may cause progressive deterioration in heart function, possibly resulting in heart failure and premature death. Heart failure is the second most common cause of cardiac death; valve diseases are a top cause for heart failure.
There are four valves that control the flow of blood through the four chambers of the heart (listed below in the same order as blood flows through the heart):
- Tricuspid valve (in the right side of the heart between the right atrium and right ventricle)
- Pulmonic valve (in the right side of the heart between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery)
- Mitral valve (in the left side of the heart between the left atrium and left ventricle - and the only valve with 2 leaflets instead of 3)
- Aortic valve (in the left side of the heart between the left ventricle and the aorta)
There are many kinds of heart valve disease, which can affect the valves in one of two ways.
- Stenosis, or a narrowing of the valve so blood is unable to flow as freely as necessary.
- Regurgitation, which is a failure of the one-way valve so that blood flows back through the valve in the wrong direction.
What are the symptoms?
Common symptoms of valvular heart disease may include the following:
- Weakness on exertion
- Rapid heartbeat
- Chest discomfort
- Fainting spells
- No symptoms at all in some patients
How is heart valve disease treated?
Treatment for heart valve disease depends on the type and severity of the disease. There are three goals of treatment for heart valve disease: protecting your valve from further damage; lessening symptoms; and repairing or replacing valves.
You may be prescribed medications to treat your symptoms and to lessen the chance of further heart damage. If treatment with medication is not sufficient you may require surgery.
Surgical Options
The cardiac surgery team at Stamford Hospital is expert at valve replacement and repair. They are skilled in the use of prosthetic tissue heart valves as well as the new "stent-less" prosthetic aortic valves to replace damaged or disease valves. Repair procedures range from simple annuloplasty (for mitral and tricuspid heart valve repair) to complex reconstructivetechniques.
Traditionally, repair or replacement of heart valves has involved open-heart surgery. More recently however, newer, less invasive techniques have been developed to replace or repair heart valves. Minimally-invasive procedures in which the incision is much smaller often mean less pain post-operatively and shorter hospital stays.
Learn more about valvular surgery at Stamford Hospital. »Go
