The Donahue Center for Valvular Heart Disease

Treatment

Valve disease specialists within the Cardiovascular Institute are skilled at treating valve problems with both non-surgical and surgical procedures.

Balloon Valvuloplasty

For patients whose mitral, aortic or pulmonary valves are narrowed, balloon valvuloplasty can represent an excellent non-surgical option. During this minimally
invasive procedure, a tiny balloon-tipped catheter is directed to the narrowed valve, where it is inflated and deflated several times, until the valve opening is
widened sufficiently.

Mitral Valve Repair

Another choice for some patients with valvular heart disease is mitral valve repair. Due to considerations such as life-long use of anti-coagulation medication or
the durability span of an artificial valve, Cardiovascular Institute surgeons opt to repair mitral valves, whenever possible, rather than replacing them. Patients with
repaired mitral valves often experience faster recovery from surgery, excellent survival rates and reduced risk of stroke.

Aortic Root Replacement

Allegheny General’s surgeons specialize in the replacement of the aortic root – a procedure that spares the patient more involved aortic valve replacement surgery.
Aneurysms can occur in the aorta at its root, eventually causing the aorta to widen and the aortic value to leak. Aortic root replacement corrects this problem, while
still leaving the valve itself intact.

Valve Replacement

The institute’s valvular heart disease specialists have built an exceptional depth of expertise at valve replacement surgery, including the most complex cases involving
multiple valves or the challenges of replacing failed prosthetic valves. Patients at higher risk – including older adults whose disease or general health precluded
potentially lifesaving surgery in the past – now have more options than ever in successful surgical treatment of valve disease. Minimally invasive approaches for
treating valve disease were pioneered by the institute’s physicians.