Valvular Heart Disease
Valvular Heart Disease occurs when one or more of the valves in your heart doesn’t open or close properly.
Your heart valves control blood flow, opening and closing to ensure that blood is always flowing forward and that there is no backward leakage. The mitral and tricuspid valves control blood flow from the atria into the ventricles (chambers of the heart), and the aortic and pulmonary valves control blood flow out of the ventricles.
When a heart valve doesn’t fully open, called valvular stenosis, the heart has to work harder to pump blood through the opening. When a heart valve doesn’t close tightly, called valvular insufficiency or “leaky valve”, blood will leak backwards, also making the heart work harder.
Columbia has been at the forefront of developing minimally invasive and catheter-based approaches to heart valve repairs and replacements, allowing those who are at higher risk access to lifesaving procedures.
The Columbia Structural Heart & Valve Center
The Columbia Structural Heart & Valve Center is a collaborative effort between Columbia's interventional cardiologists and our cardiothoracic surgeons. The center offers a range of innovative treatments for different forms of heart valve disease, including: