Structural & Valvular Heart Disease

What is structural heart disease?

Structural heart disease refers to heart conditions that involve the valves, muscle, or other tissues in your heart. 

Though many types of structural heart disease are congenital (present at birth), some structural abnormalities can develop later in life as a result of aging, lifestyle choices, or an underlying health issue.

Factors that can place you at risk of developing structural heart disease include:

• Atherosclerosis or hypertension
• Disease that affects heart valve function (rheumatic fever)
• Excessive alcohol intake
• Drug abuse (including illegal and prescription drugs)

Although rare, cancer treatment can also damage the structures of your heart. COR Healthcare Medical Associates specializes in cardio-oncology care and can assess and manage heart health before, during, and after cancer treatment. They also work with your oncologist to maintain your heart health and prevent heart disease.

What is valvular heart disease?

Valvular heart disease refers to the types of structural heart disease that affects the valves in your heart, including the mitral, aortic, tricuspid, and pulmonary valves. 

These valves control the flow of blood through the chambers of your heart (mitral and tricuspid valves), to your lungs (pulmonary valve), and to your aorta (aortic valve).

Defects or damage to the valves can prevent the valves from fully opening or completely closing, resulting in valvular heart disease. Aortic valve stenosis and mitral valve regurgitation are types of valvular heart disease.

What is the structural heart disease/valvular heart disease service?

The structural heart disease/valvular heart disease service at COR Healthcare Medical Associates is a comprehensive program that provides the expert care you need to manage your heart defect or disorder.

COR Healthcare Medical Associates is a state-of-the-art cardiology group that offers advanced diagnostic testing to diagnose and monitor your structural or valvular heart disease and devise a treatment plan that helps you maintain or improve your heart function and prevents further damage.

The specifics of your treatment will depend on the type of structural heart disease you have and how it’s affecting your heart and overall health. If your condition is mild, the team can prescribe medications to help reduce symptoms and prevent worsening of your condition.

If your heart disease is more advanced, you might need surgery like:

• Bypass surgery
• Pacemaker and/or automatic cardiac defibrillator implantation
• Surgical repair or replacement of damaged structures

For the treatment of aortic valve stenosis, COR Healthcare Medical Associates offers cutting-edge, minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). This innovative surgery places a bioprosthetic valve inside your diseased aortic valve using a balloon catheter.

To schedule an appointment with the cardiology specialists at COR Healthcare Medical Associates to learn more about the structural heart disease/valvular heart disease service, contact the office by phone or online today.