Heart Valve Disease Specialist

What is heart valve disease?

Heart valve disease refers to problems within any of your four heart valves, including the aortic, mitral, tricuspid, and pulmonary valves.

Your heart valves guide blood through your heart's four chambers during heartbeats. But, if one or more heart valves stop working the way they should, you can develop issues including:

Valvular stenosis

Valvular stenosis occurs when your valves harden and narrow so blood can't move normally. That can reduce the amount of blood moving through your heart.  

Valvular insufficiency

Valvular insufficiency occurs when your heart valves don't seal properly as they pump blood. Normally, valves send blood one way, but if they don't seal fully blood can flow backward. 

You can have one or both kinds of heart valve disease, and it may affect a single or multiple valves. 

What are the symptoms of heart valve disease?

Heart valve disease can cause symptoms such as:

• Breathing difficulties
• Chest pain
• Arrhythmia during stethoscope exams
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Swelling in your feet, ankles, or abdomen

Symptoms don't necessarily correspond with the severity of heart valve disease. You can have severe heart valve disease with no symptoms or the reverse.

Heart valve disease symptoms can be similar to those of congestive heart failure or other cardiovascular problems, so it's best to visit Texas Heart and Vein Multispecialty Group for answers if you’re concerned. In-office diagnostic testing can find the cause of your issues. 

How do you treat heart valve disease?

Heart valve disease treatment commonly includes lifestyle changes, such as a heart-healthy diet, quitting smoking, and reducing alcohol intake. You may also need medication to manage your symptoms.

As your heart valve function worsens, you may need surgery to repair or replace your diseased valve. The surgeons at Texas Heart and Vein Multispecialty Group regularly perform procedures like aortic and mitral valve replacements and repairs with great success. 

Because valve repair and replacement protocols and recommendations are ever-evolving, the team uses the most up-to-date information and technology available to provide excellent results. 

The decision to repair or replace a heart valve is a highly individual one, and the team understands your concerns. They evaluate every aspect of your situation to make a personalized recommendation and to accurately predict your surgical results.  

Learn how you can overcome valvular heart disease and live a long healthy life by calling Texas Heart and Vein Multispecialty Group or clicking the online booking tool.