Valve Disease
Heart valve disease, also known as valvular disease, occurs when one or more of your heart valves fail to work properly, disrupting blood flow within your heart.
At MercyOne, we use advanced testing and treatments to care for your heart and help you live your best life.
What is a valvular disease?
You have four heart valves: the aortic, mitral, pulmonary and tricuspid valves. These four valves regulate the flow of your blood through the heart to the lungs and throughout your body. When one or more of your valves aren’t working properly, your blood cannot flow as it should, leading to valvular disease.
- Stenosis - the narrowing of your heart valve and restriction of blood flow.
- Regurgitation - blood leakage.
A combination of factors can cause heart valve disease, including age and underlying health conditions. If left untreated, valvular disease can lead to heart failure.
What are symptoms of valvular disease?
Valvular disease can present symptoms, including:
- Chest pain.
- Light-headedness or dizziness.
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat.
- Shortness of breath.
- Swelling in feet, legs or abdomen.
Valvular disease testing and diagnosis
Testing for heart valve disease may include:
- 2D echocardiogram, an ultrasound of your heart.
- Carotid ultrasound.
- CT scans, with and without contrast.
- Heart catheterization, to evaluate heart pressures and coronary artery disease.
- Pulmonary function testing.
Personalized treatment for valvular disease
MercyOne offers a multidisciplinary team of cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, imaging specialists and colleagues to treat heart valve disease.
Based on disease type and severity, we personalize treatments to get you back to living your best life.
- Aortic balloon valvuloplasty
- Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER)
- Participation in clinical research trials