Our clinical team of experienced vascular disease providers takes a collaborative approach to assessing and treating patients with heart valve disease. We strive to identify valve disorders by providing thorough evaluations and recognizing the timeliness of your medical and surgical care.
Our goal is to deliver optimal treatment through lifestyle modification, medical management and surgical intervention to reduce risk and maximize your quality of life. Fortunately, we can now give you better treatment results with improved replacement valves, advancements in valve reconstruction and minimally invasive surgeries.
If your healthcare provider says you have a heart valve problem, please make an appointment at our valve clinic by calling (920) 617-2071. We'll be sure to guide you along the way.
What to Expect for Your Visit
Before your visit, our valve clinic coordinator will contact you. They will gather your medical background, discuss any tests you've had and explain what to expect during your appointment. We will arrange any additional testing before your visit to ensure a streamlined experience.
During your appointment, you will meet with our specialists to review your treatment plan. We may order and arrange additional tests before your valve replacement, including a CT scan, echocardiogram, heart catheterization or carotid ultrasound. We will schedule your valve replacement once testing is complete.
Types of Heart Valve Disease
If you have heart valve disease, the valve clinic can treat the illnesses mentioned below.
- Aortic regurgitation
- Aortic valve stenosis
- Mitral valve regurgitation
- Mitral valve stenosis
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
Our team has performed transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for several years. Significant advances have occurred since our first procedure, and we offer the most up-to-date TAVR technology.
We have two TAVR options available to our patients, which include:
- Edwards Life Sciences Sapien
- Medtronic CoreValve System
Doctors perform the TAVR procedure through tiny incisions instead of opening the patient's chest. Bellin Health provides several options for introducing the catheter based on the patient’s body and health.
Minimally Invasive Valve Surgery
At Bellin Health, we have extensive experience using minimally invasive surgical techniques, having applied these practices for years. And our experience keeps getting better.
Our providers can repair or replace heart valves with artificial valves using less invasive methods than open surgery. Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery improves our access and visibility of the valve compared to traditional surgery.
We can now safely and effectively perform mitral and aortic valve surgery with incisions of only 6 cm. These surgeries no longer require splitting your entire breastbone. In some instances, the surgeon does not divide any bone at all.
Smaller incisions mean less pain and faster recovery, taking only days instead of 3-4 months. Research has also shown that minimally invasive valve surgery reduces bleeding and complications.
Benefits of Minimally Invasive Surgical Techniques
- Better cosmetic results with more minor scars
- Faster recovery and return to regular activity
- Less trauma to the chest wall
- Lower risk of bleeding or blood transfusion
- Lower risk of infection
- Smaller incisions
Minimally Invasive Valve and Related Surgeries Available
- Aortic valve replacement
- Atrial septal defect closure/repair
- Mitral valve repair
- Mitral valve replacement
- Resection of subaortic stenosis
- Surgery for atrial fibrillation (MAZE procedure)
