Structural Heart and Valve Care
When it comes to cardiac and structural heart care, you want the excellent care and advanced therapy found at Atrium Health Navicent. Our multidisciplinary team comprises health care providers from a variety of specialties – including interventional cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery and cardiac imaging – and delivers care from diagnosis to treatment using the latest technology. The result? You’ll receive expert care close to home.
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Structural Heart and Valve Clinic
We recognize each patient is unique and requires individual care. Our structural heart and valve clinic – 1 of only 2 such programs south of Atlanta – treats patients with conditions that affect the flow of blood in the heart, including diseases of the heart valves and atrial septal defects. We also perform left atrial appendage closures to reduce stroke risk due to atrial fibrillation (AFib), and we were one of the first in the region to implant the WATCHMANTM device.
We specialize in:
- Balloon Aortic Valvulplasty (BAV)
Minimally invasive balloon repair of the aortic valve. - Mitral Regurgitation (MR)
Mitral valve therapy. - Transaortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
Minimally invasive replacement of the aortic valve. - WatchmanTM
Left atrial appendage closure device to reduce stroke risk due to AFib.
For more information about the structural and valve clinic, please contact your cardiologist or call:
Navicent Health Structural Heart & Valve Clinic777 Hemlock Street
Macon GA 31201
(478)633-1271
Frequently Asked Questions
AFib is a quivering or irregular heartbeat that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related problems. It is typically treated with the WATCHMAN, a left atrial appendage closure device.
The left atrial appendage is a structure originating from the left atrium (top left chamber) of the heart. Patients with atrial fibrillation are at risk for developing blood clots in this structure if not treated with anticoagulants. Sometimes, patients can’t participate in anticoagulation therapy due to occupation hazards, bleeding or a high risk of bleeding due to falls. WATCHMAN is a device used to close or block the left atrial appendage if deemed appropriate by a physician.
The risk of A-fib increases with age, and it usually occurs in people who have underlying heart disease. Almost any type of heart disease can increase a persons risk but the most common causes are:
- Heart disease due to chronic high blood pressure
- Prior heart attack
- Heat failure
- Heart valve disease such as mitral regurgitation or mitral stenosis
- Complication of heart surgery
Other behaviors and medical conditions are also associated with increased risk of developing A-fib. Including…
- Alcohol and binge drinking.
- Hyperthyroidism
- Certain medications that stimulate the heart ( Theophylline)
- Sleep Apnea
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Chronic kidney disease
- Smoking
Balloon aortic valvuloplasty, or BAV, is a nonsurgical procedure where a balloon is inflated within the aortic valve. Results are typically short-lived and not intended to be a long-term solution. BAV often serves as a bridge to valve replacement or as a palliative option.
The left atrial appendage is a structure originating from the left atrium (top left chamber) of the heart. Patients with atrial fibrillation are at risk for developing blood clots in this structure if not treated with anticoagulants. Sometimes, patients can’t participate in anticoagulation therapy due to occupation hazards, bleeding or a high risk of bleeding due to falls. WATCHMAN is a device used to close or block the left atrial appendage if deemed appropriate by a physician.
Mitral regurgitation (MR) is a condition that affects the mitral valve. The mitral valve has 2 flaps of tissue that open and close to ensure that blood flows in only one direction. Mitral regurgitation occurs when the mitral valve fails to close completely, and blood leaks backward inside your heart. Treatment includes MitraClip™, a nonsurgical procedure for people with significant symptomatic degenerative mitral regurgitation who are not candidates for surgical mitral valve replacement. The device is placed using a minimally invasive, catheter-based approach and real-time imaging. Patients generally are discharged home within 3 days.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR, is a nonsurgical procedure performed with local anesthesia. A special catheter (hollow tube) is threaded into a blood vessel in the groin and guided into the heart. This procedure is much less invasive than open heart surgery and enables a new valve to be implanted without opening the chest.
There currently are 2 types of TAVR valves, self-expanding and balloon expandable. Multiple factors go into deciding the best type of valve for each individual case.
- Edwards Sapien™ transcather aortic valve is made of natural tissue from a cow’s heart. The tissue leaflets are secured on a balloon-expanding, cobalt-chromium frame.
- Medtronic CoreValve™/Evolute™ transcatheter aortic valve is made of natural tissue from a pig’s heart. The tissue leaflets are secured on the flexible, self-expanding nickel-titanium frame.