Structural heart diseases like valve defects and holes in the heart can result in your heart not functioning as efficiently as it should. Board-certified interventional cardiologist Rahul Gaglani, MD, at Core Cardiology in Murrieta, California, is an expert in treating structural heart diseases such as atrial septal defects, patent foramen ovale, and aortic stenosis using minimally invasive cardiac catheterization procedures. For expert structural heart intervention, call the office or schedule a consultation online today.
Structural heart diseases are those that affect the structures that make up your heart — the chambers, valves, and walls. Some people are born with structural heart disease, while others develop one later in life.
Structural heart disease that develops after birth or when you're older can be a consequence of having conditions such as:
Structural heart disease is also more likely to affect you if you have disorders like high blood pressure or atherosclerosis (narrowed arteries) that damage your blood vessels. Certain medications can increase your risk of structural heart disease, too.
Structural heart intervention can help treat diseases such as:
To determine if you need structural heart intervention, Dr. Gaglani conducts a physical exam, reviews your symptoms, and looks at your medical history. He's likely to order tests to assess your condition, such as an echocardiogram, CT scan, cardiac MRI, or cardiac PET stress test.
Structural heart disease doesn't always require treatment. Sometimes medication to prevent blood clots is all you need for a disorder like patent foramen ovale, for instance. If your condition causes symptoms or presents a risk to your health, you might require structural heart intervention.
Wherever possible, Dr. Gaglani uses minimally invasive cardiac catheterization techniques to treat structural heart disease. These procedures have distinct advantages for suitable patients in comparison to open surgery, including:
Cardiac catheterization techniques Dr. Gaglani might use to treat your structural heart disease include:
In this procedure for treating a hole in the heart, Dr. Gaglani implants a tiny metal clip in your heart's mitral valve. The clip holds the mitral valve closed to prevent blood from flowing the wrong way.
In this procedure, Dr. Gaglani inserts a balloon to open valves afflicted with stenosis, which causes stiffening and sometimes fusion of the valves.
Dr. Gaglani uses transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) to replace diseased aortic valves without open surgery, and transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) to treat mitral valve disease.
Dr. Gaglani uses alcohol septal ablation to treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The alcohol destroys targeted heart cells to improve blood flow.
Find out more about structural heart intervention by calling Core Cardiology or booking an appointment online today.