Structural Heart

Your Heart's Roadmap

Your heart has four valves with tissue flaps that open and close with every heartbeat. These flaps act as a roadmap for the heart, guiding blood flow in the right direction through the four chambers of your heart and throughout your body. If a problem occurs with one of your heart valves, our team at the DMC is here to help you.

Although some people have heart valve defects they are born with or disease that has developed over time, they may not have symptoms or even any problems. In other cases, the heart valve problem may worsen and cause symptoms to develop. When left untreated, advanced heart valve disease can cause heart failure, stroke, blood clots, or even death.

Navigating Your Care

The Structural Heart/Valve Clinic at the DMC is designed to make your visit more efficient, saving you time away from work or home by making sure you can be seen by our entire team in just one day.

The Structural Heart Program at the DMC encompasses interventional technology as well as the latest in structural heart innovations. The variety of minimally-invasive treatment options gives patients a wide range of personalized choices with the ability to make an educated decision based on their specific diagnosis.

A patient navigator will make all the necessary appointments and schedule you with one of our cardiologists and a cardiovascular surgeon, who are skilled in some of the most innovative valve procedures, and work together to develop your personalized care plan.

What You Can Expect

A visit to the Valve Clinic might include reviewing any previous tests or imaging of your heart, or some new testing may be performed. There are various options for treating valve disease, and our team will discuss those with you. Surgery to fix or replace a faulty valve may be needed. If that is the case, we offer minimally invasive techniques to lessen pain and blood loss, and allow you to get back to your daily routine faster, with a healthier heart.

Heart Quiz

How healthy is your heart?

Take the heart assessment

Find a Cardiologist

Fill out a contact form and we'll call you to refer a doctor.

Request a Cardiologist Referral

What Does Stress Do to Your Body?

Life can be quite stressful. What to do? While we strive to be more about solutions than problems, understanding how stress affects our bodies is a first step in awareness. Be on the lookout for physical signs of stress and get the help you need to manage through the seasons of life.

Headaches	Difficulty Sleeping	Depression, Anxiety	Eating Disorders, Increase in Alcohol or Substance Use	Heart Disease, such as High Blood Pressure
Shortness of Breath, Rapid Breathing	Digestive, Acid Reflux, Nausea	Diabetes	Decline in Sexual Desire or Fertility, Effects on Menstrual Cycles or Menopause	Diarrhea, Constipation

What You Can Do

If you notice one or more ongoing symptoms of stress, please talk with a doctor. Other ways to manage stress:

Seek out relaxing activities, such as breathing exercises or meditation.
Get regular exercise, such as 10 minutes of walking, three times a day.
Stay connected to those who can provide emotional support.
Set goals. Start as small or basic as you need and be mindful of accomplishments.
Learn to say “no” if you feel like you’re taking on too much.

Sources:
National Institute of Mental Health
American Psychological Association