Consultation hours for heart valve diseases
We make sure that everything works again with your heart
Here you can find out everything you need to know about heart valve disease. We explain the function of heart valves and the consequences of heart valve disease and you can find out more about the treatment options. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or need advice.
What are heart valves for and what happens if they are defective?
Our heart valves ensure that the blood always flows in the right direction. We have a total of four of these valves: the aortic valve is located on the aorta, the pulmonary valve is located near the pulmonary arteries. The mitral valve is located between the left atrium and the left ventricle, and the tricuspid valve is located between the right atrium and the right ventricle.
There are two types of heart valve disease, stenosis (narrowing or thickening of the heart valve) and insufficiency (leaking heart valve). Both are often caused by wear and tear and are therefore mainly age-related. However, some malformations are also congenital. They can also be caused by inflammation or radiation or by taking medication. However, the latter is rather rare.
If the heart valves are diseased, the heart and other organs are put under excessive strain. The heart can no longer pump enough blood into the body. This leads to a reduction in performance.
How are heart valve diseases treated?
In the case of heart valve diseases, a detailed clarification by specialized cardiologists is necessary. The findings are then discussed as a team. In younger patients, surgical treatment is often the best option. In the case of heart valve stenosis, the thickened or too narrow heart valve is surgically removed. It is replaced with a new, perfectly functioning heart valve. Biological (animal) heart valves are usually used, less frequently mechanical (metal) valves.
A catheter procedure (TAVI) is often used for older patients, as it is much gentler and provides equivalent results to cardiac surgery. In such a TAVI procedure, a catheter is inserted through an artery in the groin and a valve is brought into the body in a folded state and released.
In the case of a severely leaking heart valve, in addition to surgical repair of the valve, a clip can also be attached to the heart valve using a catheter, which ensures that the heart valve is less leaky. This clip can be inserted via the inguinal vein.
We can treat your heart valve disease in most cases. You will always be accompanied by the doctors you trust and the same nursing staff. As a patient with heart valve disease, you are always in the best hands with us.
