Valley’s heart care team provides expert care for heart valve diseases like aortic stenosis and mitral valve prolapse.
Heart valve disease treatment ranges from medications and lifestyle changes to heart valve repair and replacement. At Valley, we offer the full range of treatments — often combining treatments to give you the best outcomes possible.
If you need valve repair or replacement, we can help. We specialize in:
- Open-heart surgery
- Aortic root replacement (the David procedure)
- Interventional procedures like transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and MitraClip
The Valley Approach to Heart Valve Disease Care
At Valley, your care team may include heart surgeons, structural heart specialists, advanced practice providers and others — all working together for you. They’ll customize your care to your specific heart valve condition.
Your care team will start by getting to the root of your symptoms to diagnose your condition. They’ll then work with you to develop a treatment plan through shared decision-making.
Our goal is for you to understand all your options. We’ll discuss the risks and benefits of treatment options, and we encourage you to share your concerns with us. Together, we’ll tailor your treatment to your needs and preferences.
WATCH: When it comes to heart surgery, experience matters. Valley recently celebrated performing 1,000 transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVR).
Heart Valve Conditions Treated
Valves are located in the upper and lower heart chambers. These valves keep blood flowing properly through the heart.
When there are issues with your heart valves, the heart must work harder. This can cause a wide range of symptoms like chest pain, dizziness, heart fluttering or shortness of breath.
Valley specialists treat the full spectrum of heart valve conditions, including:
- Aortic Regurgitation
- Aortic Stenosis
- Bicuspid Aortic Valve (BAV)
- Mitral Valve Regurgitation and Prolapse
- Mitral Valve Stenosis
- Prosthetic Valve Failure
- Tricuspid Atresia
- Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation
- Tricuspid Valve Stenosis
Heart Valve Surgery
Depending on your condition, heart valve repair or replacement could be the right option for you.
Valley’s heart surgeons and structural heart specialists specialize in the full range of surgical options for repairing or replacing heart valves.
Open-Heart Valve Surgery
Certain heart valve conditions require open-heart surgery. For open-heart valve surgery, your surgeon makes a 6- to 10-inch incision in the chest to open the breastbone. During the procedure, a heart-lung bypass machine will take over the heart function and circulation.
After open-heart surgery, your provider will discuss your recovery with you. Most people can return home after surgery. Typically, most people get back to regular daily activities within four weeks.
Minimally Invasive Heart Valve Surgery
Depending on your condition, our team can sometimes repair and replace heart valves using minimally invasive techniques.
During minimally invasive heart valve procedures, your surgeon will make a 2- to 4-inch incision between the ribs to access the heart.
Minimally invasive heart surgery typically results in shorter hospital stays and faster recovery. Typically, most people can get back to regular daily activities within about 10 days.
Interventional Heart Valve Procedures
Valley structural heart specialists also specialize in heart valve procedures such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and MitraClip.
These procedures use a catheter (a thin, flexible tube) that contains the replacement heart valve. Your provider will thread the catheter through an artery in the groin or shoulder area to replace the heart valve.
Heart Valve Repair and Replacement Procedures at Valley
Valley’s heart valve team offers the full range of procedures to treat heart valve problems:
- Aortic Valve Repair
- Congenital Heart Defect Repair (PFO/ASD Closure)
- Left Atrial Appendage Closure (Watchman and Amulet)
- MitraClip
- Ross Procedure
- Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
- Transcatheter Mitral Edge-To-Edge Repair (TEER) With MitraClip
- Percutaneous Mitral Valve Repair
- Percutaneous Tricuspid Valve Clips
- Transeptal Transcatheter Mitral Valve-In-Valve Replacements (TMVR)
- Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacement (David Procedure)
- Valvuloplasty
Why Choose Valley for Heart Valve Repair and Replacement?
- Expert disease detection: At Valley, we use our collective expertise, cardiac imaging and interventional procedures to accurately diagnose what’s happening with your heart. We know how to uncover the cause of your symptoms. And then we work to treat problems as quickly as possible.
- Leaders in interventional valve repair and replacement: Our heart surgeons and structural heart specialists have performed more than 1,000 transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures. Valley structural heart specialists were among the first in the area to use the MitraClip procedure for mitral regurgitation.
- Focus on research: Our heart care team includes leaders in the field who are researching innovative ways to treat heart valve disease. We actively conduct and publish research that continues to improve heart surgery outcomes.
- Coordinated, convenient care from one team: From your very first call, our team will coordinate all aspects of your care. You’ll receive your diagnosis, treatment and follow-up from one team, in one place. Our cardiovascular nurse practitioners are available to answer all your questions and provide guidance on your care. Additionally, our nurse navigators coordinate and schedule tests and appointments for your convenience.
- Alliance with Cleveland Clinic: Valley has an alliance with Cleveland Clinic, whose heart program is nationally ranked. Through this alliance, we consult with leading heart experts for the most complex heart valve cases. This gives you a built-in second opinion from the nation’s finest, right here in northern New Jersey.
