Heart Valve Disease

Do you experience symptoms of heart valve disease? Please do not delay your care. Our cardiovascular experts provide nonsurgical, minimally invasive and surgical treatment options matched with safe, compassionate care.

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Your Heart Care Experts, Close to Home

Our cardiovascular specialists at the Detroit Medical Center (DMC) are focused on providing personalized care plans designed specifically for various types of heart valve disease. Our cardiovascular team, composed of cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, interventional cardiologists, nurses, and technologists, will guide you through the entire care process so you can focus on your health and recovery.

Some of the services we offer for heart valve disease include:

• Diagnostic tests and screenings
• Nonsurgical treatment options
• Surgical treatment options
• Cardiac rehabilitation after surgery

Dontae's Story: Expert heart care and minimally invasive mitral valve replacement

What Is Heart Valve Disease?

Heart valve disease happens when one or more of your four heart valves (the aortic, mitral, pulmonary and tricuspid valves) are not functioning properly. The heart valves contain tissue flaps that open and close when the heart beats. These flaps are responsible for letting your blood flow properly through your heart’s chambers and the rest of your body. When you have heart valve disease, your body may not get enough blood or your blood can seep back into your heart. This may lead to complications or further health consequences, such as stroke, heart failure or even death.

Types of Heart Valve Disease

There are six different types of heart valve disease. These include:

1. Aortic Valve Regurgitation – occurs when the aortic valve doesn’t close tightly, causing blood to leak back into the heart’s left ventricle, and the heart has to work harder to pump blood to the body.
2. Aortic Valve Stenosis – occurs when the valve narrows and obstructs blood flow, which weakens the heart and causes blood to back up into the lungs.
3. Mitral Valve Regurgitation – occurs when the mitral valve doesn’t close properly, causing blood to flow back into the heart’s upper chambers.
4. Mitral Valve Stenosis – occurs when the valve narrows and obstructs proper blood flow. This may also cause the blood to go back up into the lungs.
5. Tricuspid Valve Disease – occurs when the tricuspid valve is damaged. The valve won’t close adequately, and this can result in backward leakage of blood into the right atrium. The valve may become stiff and narrowed, preventing the forward flow of blood from the atrium to the ventricle, known as tricuspid stenosis.
6. Pulmonary Valve Disease – occurs when the pulmonary valve function is impaired and the valve won’t close properly. This can lead to backward leakage of blood into the right ventricle. The valve may become stiff and narrowed, preventing the forward flow of blood from the ventricle to the lungs through the pulmonary artery, known as pulmonic stenosis.

What Causes Heart Valve Disease?

Several things can cause acquired heart valve disease. These may include:

• Congenital abnormalities
• Connective tissue disorders
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Heart injury
• High blood pressure
• Infection
• IV drug abuse
• Age-related degeneration
• Rheumatic fever
• Certain weight loss medications
• Tumors
• Kidney failure

What Are the Most Common Heart Valve Disease Symptoms?

Heart valve disease may be hard to detect because some people may not experience symptoms until the condition becomes severe. Please see a cardiologist if you experience any of the following signs and symptoms of heart valve disease:

• Breathing difficulties
• Chest pain
• Fatigue
• Inability to maintain regular activity level
• Lightheadedness or fainting
• Shortness of breath
• Palpitations
• Swollen ankles, feet or abdomen
• Weakness

How Do Doctors Diagnose Heart Valve Disease?

Aside from asking about your symptoms, medical history and family health background, your DMC cardiologist may also recommend any of the following diagnostic tests and screenings:

• Echocardiogram – Specialized ultrasound to help doctors see if there are leaks in your heart valves, how well the heart is functioning and what is causing the valve problem.
• Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – takes a detailed picture of your heart to help the cardiologist confirm if a heart valve is damaged.
• Cardiac Catheterization – shows how well your valves open and helps determine if your blood flows backwards.
• Chest X-Ray – helps doctors determine the size and shape of your heart valves and chambers.
• Electrocardiogram (EKG) – records the heart’s electrical signals to help detect abnormal heart rhythms.

What Treatment Options Do We Provide at the DMC?

Our cardiology team may recommend a combination of treatment options for heart valve disease which may include any of the following:

• Prescription medications
• Lifestyle changes (e.g., avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol intake, switching to a heart-healthy diet, drinking lots of water, exercising regularly, etc.)
• Repairing heart valves through surgery

Which Procedures Do We Perform at the DMC?

The DMC cardiovascular team will assess the patient’s unique needs and tailor a comprehensive treatment plan. This includes using the least invasive approach and the most effective therapy to ensure the quickest return to normal life. Procedures for heart valve disease include:

• Mitral Valve Repair or Replacement – to treat mitral stenosis or mitral regurgitation, surgeon performs a minimally invasive or open procedure to repair the damaged valve or replace it with a mechanical or biological valve. For patients with an irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation), a surgical ablation (Maze procedure) is done to restore normal heart rhythm and reduce the risk of stroke.
• Arrhythmia and Left Atrial Appendage Exclusion Procedures – a catheter-based or minimally invasive ablation (Maze procedure), or atrial appendage exclusion using the Watchman or Left VATS approach. For drug refractory ventricular fibrillation/tachycardia, the DMC has the expertise to provide neuromodulation procedures using minimally invasive sympathectomy. Surgeon can also apply left ventricular lead placements for cardiac resynchronization for heart failure associated with valvular heart diseases. Patients with advanced heart failure may need Impella/ECMO machine assistance. DMC cardiovascular surgeons and Intensivists have the expertise to care for these high-risk surgical patients.
• Aortic Valve Repair or Replacement – a minimally invasive or open procedure to replace a damaged aortic valve with a biological or mechanical replacement valve. Your doctor may recommend this procedure if you have either aortic stenosis or aortic regurgitation. Patients who need to avoid anticoagulation have the option of the Ozaki procedure. A concomitant aortic aneurysm can be treated, as well as complex aortic root enlargement or replacement surgeries including Bentall/homograft/valve-sparing aortic root replacements and the Ross procedure.
• Tricuspid Valve Repair or Replacement – a minimally invasive or open procedure to repair or replace a damaged tricuspid valve with a biological or mechanical replacement valve. This may help reduce symptoms such as chest pain, fatigue and shortness of breath. Your doctor may recommend this procedure if you have either tricuspid stenosis or regurgitation.
• Pulmonic Valve Repair or Replacement – a procedure to repair or replace a damaged pulmonic valve with a biological or homograft valve. This may help reduce symptoms such as chest pain, fatigue and shortness of breath. Your doctor may recommend this procedure if you have either pulmonic stenosis or regurgitation.
• MitraClip – a minimally invasive procedure which uses a device designed to repair mitral regurgitation. It is reserved for patients who are too sick to undergo conventional surgery. Surgeon and the interventional cardiologist clip a small metal device on the mitral valve through a catheter, which avoids putting the patient on a heart-lung bypass machine.
• Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) – a minimally invasive procedure where the surgeon and interventional cardiologist insert a replacement valve into a damaged valve through a catheter, which avoids putting the patient on a heart-lung bypass machine.
• Valvuloplasty – the procedure is performed through a catheter and uses a balloon to open a heart valve that has been narrowed by stenosis. This helps the heart pump blood to the body more efficiently.

Listen to Your Heart

The DMC offers advanced treatment options and cardiovascular expertise to help improve your heart health and quality of life. Our experienced cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, interventional cardiologists and compassionate staff are committed to providing expert heart care from diagnosis and treatment to recovery and rehabilitation.

If you experience symptoms or you’re at an increased risk for heart valve disease, please schedule an appointment with one of our cardiovascular specialists as soon as you can. When left untreated, heart valve disease may lead to heart failure, stroke or even sudden cardiac death, so please do not delay your care.