Tennova Healthcare Highlights Heart Valve Disease Facts and Figures
7/11/2018
Latest heart valve treatments allow more patients to avoid open heart surgery
If you’re like most people, when you think of heart disease you think of heart attacks or heart failure. Many people have never heard of heart valve disease. In fact, three out of four adults know little to nothing about it, according to a national survey conducted by the Alliance for Aging Research.
So, what is heart valve disease and why should you care? Tennova Healthcare has the answers.
“Signs of heart valve problems can develop suddenly or over time,” said Yasir Akhtar, M.D., an interventional cardiologist with Tennova Healthcare. “Some people are born with congenital heart defects, which increase the risk of developing heart valve disease. Others develop valve problems due to damage from previous heart conditions or infection.”
Heart valve disease becomes more common with age. In fact, one in eight people age 75 and older are estimated to have moderate to severe valve disease. While some types of heart valve disease are not serious, others can lead to major complications, including death.
According to the American Heart Association, more than 5 million Americans have been diagnosed with heart valve disease. Each year, an estimated 22,000 people in the U.S. die from the disease. “The good news is that heart valve disease can usually be successfully treated with valve repair or replacement,” Dr. Akhtar said. “Medications may be prescribed by your doctor to temporarily relieve symptoms.”
Know Your Valves
Your heart has four valves that open and close with every heartbeat—helping the blood flow smoothly and freely in one direction through the chambers of the heart and to the rest of the body. These valves are the mitral valve, tricuspid valve, pulmonary valve and aortic valve.
“Problems can arise when one or more of the valves aren’t opening or closing properly,” said William Walker, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon with Tennova Healthcare. “The body may not get a sufficient supply of blood or, in some cases, blood seeps back to the heart and lungs.”
According to Dr. Walker, the most common heart valve issues are mitral regurgitation (the valve doesn’t fully close); and aortic stenosis (the valve doesn’t open enough). Left untreated, heart valve disease can cause many complications, including heart failure, stroke, blood clots and heart rhythm abnormalities.
Listen to Your Heart
Signs and symptoms of heart valve disease may vary, but often include:
- Abnormal sound (heart murmur) when your doctor is listening to your heart with a stethoscope
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling in your ankles and feet
- Chest pain
- Unusual fatigue
- Dizziness or fainting
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
If you develop any symptoms that suggest heart valve disease, see your primary care physician. If you have a heart murmur, your doctor may recommend you visit a cardiologist.
Understand Your Treatment Options
Some heart valve problems are minor and just need to be watched closely, while others require surgery to fix or replace the valve.
“Valve surgery has traditionally been done by cutting the breastbone open to get to the heart,” Dr. Walker said. “New approaches to fix the valve or insert a new valve are less invasive and include minimally invasive procedures as well as catheter-based techniques.”
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement—also known as TAVR—is a minimally invasive surgical technique that repairs the aortic valve without removing the old, damaged valve. Available at Turkey Creek Medical Center and Physicians Regional Medical Center, TAVR is accomplished with an interventional cardiologist and a cardiothoracic surgeon working collaboratively on the case.
TAVR can be an effective option to improve quality of life in patients who otherwise have limited choices for repair of their aortic valve. “Somewhat similar to placing a stent in an artery, the TAVR approach delivers a fully collapsible replacement valve to the valve site through a catheter,” Dr. Akhtar explained. “Once the new valve is expanded, it pushes the old valve leaflets out of the way and the tissue in the replacement valve takes over the job of regulating blood flow.”
The heart specialists are Tennova Healthcare offer advanced treatment options for a broad range of heart problems, including heart valve disease. For more information or a referral to heart specialist, call 1-855-TENNOVA (836-6682).
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