Structural Heart and Valve Disease
The Structural Heart and Valve Disease Program at Yale New Haven Hospital provides expert care to patients with structural heart disease through a multidisciplinary team of specialists dedicated to the care of the individual patient.
Recognized as a national leaders in the field, the physicians in the Structural Heart and Valve Disease Program treat an increasing number of complex cardiac conditions through catheter-based and minimally invasive approaches.
What is Structural Heart Disease?
Structural heart disease refers to disease processes involving the heart’s valves or other non-coronary structures of the heart. The most common valvular heart diseases involve either the aortic valve or mitral valve. When healthy, these valves open widely to allow blood to flow easily and shut tightly to avoid flow in the wrong direction. When a valve does not open properly, stenosis can occur and result in the inability of the heart to efficiently pump blood to vital organs. Regurgitation (or leaky valve) occurs when a valve does not close properly. Structural heart disease may occur with aging or be present from birth.
Clinical Expertise
Our multidisciplinary team of specialists represents cardiology, interventional cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, echo cardiology, electrophysiology, cardiovascular imaging, cardiac anesthesia, and, as appropriate, pediatric cardiology. Clinical expertise is enhanced with access to advanced medical technology, including a hybrid operating room.
Our vast diversity of medical expertise enables our team to efficiently evaluate and closely collaborate to develop specialized treatment plans, continuously working together to provide informed, effective care. In addition, through Yale Medicine, we offer clinical trials, offering access to the newest transcatheter procedures.
Conditions Treated
Many patients with structural and valvular heart disease require a procedure to replace the diseased heart valve or repair the defect. The Structural Heart and Valve Disease Program has specialized clinics for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), mitral valve disease, left atrial appendage closure, and patent foramen ovale closure. Our program specializes in minimally invasive treatments for patients.
Specific conditions we treat include:
- Aortic stenosis
- Atrial septal defects and patent foramen ovales (PFOs)
- Coarctation of the aorta
- Left atrial appendage closure for patients with atrial fibrillation
- Mitral valve regurgitation and mitral valve stenosis
- Regurgitation or stenosis of surgically implanted valves
- Tricuspid valve regurgitation
- Ventricular septal defects
Procedures Performed
Catheter-based and minimally invasive surgical procedures provide an advanced and viable alternative to open-heart surgery for many patients. Benefits include improved outcomes, quicker recovery and fewer complications.
Among procedures we perform:
- Alcohol septal ablation
- Atrial septal defect closure
- Left atrial appendage closure
- Paravalvular leak closure
- Patent foramen ovale closure
- Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
- Transcatheter mitral valve repair and replacement
- Ventricular septal defect closure
Patent foramen ovale (PFO) program
For patients with patent foramen ovale, Yale New Haven Hospital offers the only comprehensive multidisciplinary PFO program in Connecticut and one of the largest in the Northeast. Our integrated team approach provides evaluation and treatment for adult patients who are at risk of a stroke or have had a stroke due to paradoxical embolism from a PFO or other abnormal connections. Our PFO program includes experts in structural cardiology, congenital cardiology, vascular neurology, and hematology who meet bi-weekly to devise patients’ treatment strategies based on the unique condition and needs of each patient.
What patient care offerings are provided to stroke patients with PFO?
- Cardiac monitoring
- Interventional techniques
- Laboratory and imaging diagnostic studies
