Although medication cannot cure heart valve disease, it can be used to provide relief from various symptoms. Prescription medication combined with lifestyle changes may relieve many of the symptoms and problems linked to valvular disease. These treatments can also lower the risk of developing a life-threatening condition, such as stroke or sudden cardiac death. However, heart valve disease is often a structural problem that cannot be solved with medication; a minimally invasive or surgical solution may be necessary.
A minimally invasive procedure, valvuloplasty is used to expand a narrowed heart valve (stenosis) to help improve blood flow. Cardiac specialists use a catheter with a medical-grade balloon attached to widen the narrowed portion of the heart valve. The catheter is inserted into a blood vessel, often in the groin, and guided to the heart valve using imaging technology. Once the heart valve is reached, the balloon is expanded to compress the tissue and create more space for blood flow.
Minimally invasive procedures can repair or replace a faulty heart valve. Whenever possible, health care providers recommend a minimally invasive option. Heart-valve specialists perform repair procedures to separate valve flaps that have fused together, remove excess valve tissue to allow it to close tightly or close holes in a valve.
If it is not possible to repair the valve, a valve replacement may be recommended. With a minimally invasive procedure, the damaged valve is replaced with an artificial valve, often made from human or animal tissue.
TEER procedures are used to repair faulty mitral or tricuspid valves. These intricate, minimally invasive therapies involve inserting a tiny clip, on a catheter, through a blood vessel and into the heart to repair the damaged valve.
When the procedure repairs a mitral valve, it is called mTEER; when the procedure is for the tricuspid valve, it is called tTEER. Both the mTEER and tTEER procedures use advanced imaging technology to guide the catheter through the blood vessel to reach the damaged heart valve. Precise image guidance is essential to allow for the devices to be properly positioned to repair the heart valve.
TAVR is a minimally invasive treatment option for patients with aortic stenosis. The procedure replaces the faulty aortic valve with an artificial valve. Cardiac teams access the aortic valve by guiding a catheter containing the artificial valve through a small incision in the groin, through the femoral vein and into the heart. Combining catheter-based technology with advanced imaging allows physicians to replace the damaged aortic valve without making incisions in the chest.
TTVR is a minimally invasive therapy for patients with a leaky or damaged tricuspid valve. Using catheter-based technology, an artificial valve is placed inside the biological tricuspid valve. Trained physicians insert a catheter that contains the replacement valve through a small incision in the groin and guide it to the tricuspid valve using advanced imaging assistance.
Known as a “valve-in-valve” procedure, the new valve is implanted inside the original valve and takes over function for the faulty biological valve.
The TTVR procedure is a newer valve replacement procedure. It may be appropriate for certain patients who exhibit symptoms of a leaky or damaged tricuspid valve and meet guidelines established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
In the event a multidisciplinary team determines a patient is not a candidate for minimally invasive procedures, the patient may benefit from traditional open-heart surgery to repair or replace a faulty heart valve.
Open-heart surgery can treat problems with any of the four heart valves: mitral, aortic, tricuspid or pulmonary. A large incision is made in the chest to reach the targeted valve. This invasive procedure may require an extended hospital stay and a lengthy recovery.
The Ross Procedure is a complex surgical treatment option to remove a faulty aortic valve and replace it with the patient’s own pulmonary valve. The pulmonary valve is then replaced with a donor valve.
The aortic and pulmonary valves are biologically very similar, but the pulmonary valve undergoes significantly less strain than the aortic valve. Some patients who need an aortic valve replacement may benefit from the Ross Procedure if their pulmonary valve is healthy.
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