Structural Heart Disease

Structural heart disease is a defect or abnormality of the heart that is non-coronary, meaning that it does not affect the blood vessels in the heart. It has become to mean an evolving area of Cardiology which relates to intervention to both congenital anomalies like Atrial Septal Defects as well as Valvular Heart Disease like Aortic and Mitral lesions.

ASD/PFO are communications or channels between the two top heart chambers. Repair is possible via catheter-based therapies which allows an umbrella-shaped device to enter the blood vessel and be positioned across the defect to avoid the need for open heart surgery.

Aortic Valve Procedures

• Percutaneous Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty (BAV) is a transcatheter procedure for widening a stenotic valve by a balloon technique. This is a treatment option that has had a resurgence of popularity since the introduction of TAVR. It is for the treatment of severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. Previously use was limited to palliation or a bridge to Aortic valve replacement (AVR). It has now been used to assess therapeutic response in complicated patients with comorbidities prior to consideration of definitive TAVR
• Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) also known as Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) is a minimally invasive procedure to replace a narrowed aortic valve that fails to open properly (aortic valve stenosis). It may be an option for people who are considered at intermediate or high risk of complications from surgical aortic valve replacement. TAVI may also be indicated in certain people who can't undergo open-heart surgery. The decision to treat aortic stenosis with TAVI is made after consultation with a multidisciplinary group of medical and surgical heart specialists who together determine the best treatment option for each individual.