Valve repair and replacement

A trusted solution for heart valve disease

The blood in your heart travels in only one direction, and your four heart valves—tricuspid, pulmonary, mitral and aortic—play a big part in this process, opening and closing with each heartbeat. When a valve becomes damaged, whether the opening becomes too narrow or the valve leaks, the direction of blood flow is disrupted.

Symptoms of heart valve disease can include:

• Abdominal swelling
• Chest pain
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Fatigue
• Irregular heartbeat
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling of your ankles and feet

The team at our heart valve center can work with you to diagnose and treat your disease. While your doctor may prescribe medications to control your symptoms, you could eventually need surgery.

There are two main types of heart valve surgery: valve repair and valve replacement. During valve repair, your surgeon will tighten or loosen the valves' doors (called leaflets) so the valve functions properly. Valve replacement, on the other hand, involves replacing the faulty valve with an artificial valve. Your doctor can help you decide which type of procedure is best for you.

Valve replacement

We know it can be hard to find the right solution for your valve disease. That's why we stay on the forefront of heart research and medicine, always looking for new therapies, methods and tools that can give you more life-changing—and sometimes life-saving—options.

Our transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) program is one of the most successful in the state of Virginia, and we're one of the few hospitals in central Virginia to offer TAVR for patients with severe aortic stenosis.

If you're a lower-risk patient, you may qualify for our minimally invasive valve replacement surgery. Rather than cutting through your breastbone, our surgeons gain access to your heart through small incisions between your ribs and in your groin, which means you'll have less pain and a shorter hospital stay.

Contact us

Do you suffer from heart valve disease and want to talk to us about surgery?

Call us or request an appointment online.