Diagnosing & Treating Heart Valve Disease

If a health care provider has told you that you might have a heart valve problem, or you’re starting to notice symptoms, you probably have questions about what comes next. Depending on your condition, you may need monitoring, medication or surgery.  

At Banner Health, you can count on us for expert testing and personalized guidance every step of the way.

How is heart valve disease diagnosed?

To diagnose heart valve disease, you will probably be referred to a heart specialist such as a cardiologist. They will begin with a physical exam and a review of your symptoms, medications and medical history. They will also ask you about any fatigue, chest pain, irregular heartbeats or other things you may have noticed.

They will then listen to your heart with a stethoscope to see if they hear a whooshing sound, which may be a sign of a heart murmur. If they hear a heart murmur, they will check its timing and location.

Tests are done to get a better idea of how your heart is working:

• Echocardiogram (echo): An echocardiogram uses sound waves to create moving pictures of the way your heart beats. It shows how your blood flows through the heart and how your valves are working.
• Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG): An EKG records your heart’s electrical signals and shows how your heart beats.
• Chest X-ray: X-rays can check for size changes or fluid buildup in your heart and lungs.
• Cardiac CT: An imaging test that helps determine the severity of your heart valve condition and what treatments may be offered to you.  For example, a cardiac CT scan may be used to plan your TAVR procedure.
• Cardiac MRI: A detailed imaging test that can also show the severity of your valve disease. This test is sometimes done if your diagnosis is uncertain.
• Exercise or stress testing: For these tests, you walk on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike. They measure how your heart and the valves respond to activity and may show symptoms that only happen when your heart rate is high.
• Cardiac catheterization: This test is done with x-ray. It can be used with dye or angiography to show your blood vessels (coronary angiogram).  Cardiac catheterization is also done to measure pressure in your heart, which may be needed to confirm the diagnosis of valve disease or prepare you for treatments.
• Other tests: You may have blood tests to check cholesterol or blood glucose (sugar) or to rule out other heart conditions. 

These tests help your provider understand what type of heart valve disease you have and how severe it is, so they can recommend the right treatment plan.

How is heart valve disease treated?

Treatment for heart valve disease depends on your symptoms, how severe they are and if your heart valve problem is getting worse. You might not need treatment for a valve condition right away. You could just need monitoring, or you might need care sooner to help prevent complications like heart failure or arrhythmias.

At Banner Health, we will consider your valve disease severity, overall health, and preferences, and work with you to create a treatment plan that fits your needs.

Nonsurgical treatment options for heart valve disease

If your valve condition is mild or not causing symptoms, your health care provider may recommend:

• Regular health checkups: Tracking your condition and repeating imaging tests can look for changes. This may be all the treatment you need if you have a mild condition.
• Lifestyle changes: A healthy lifestyle can help keep your heart working well.
  • Eat a heart-healthy diet with fruits, vegetables, lean protein, low-fat dairy, whole grains and low salt
  • Exercise regularly, aiming for at least 30 minutes daily as long as that’s approved by your provider
  • Maintain a healthy body weight
  • Quit smoking or using tobacco
  • Manage your blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes
  • Practice good sleep habits
  • Reduce stress
  • Ask your provider if cardiac rehab might be a good idea
• Medications: Medications can’t fix a damaged valve, but they may relieve symptoms and help your heart work better. Your provider may suggest:
  • Blood pressure medicines
  • Diuretics to reduce fluid and swelling
  • Heart rhythm medicines to control irregular heartbeats
  • Blood thinners to help prevent clots
  • Beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers to control heart rate and blood pressure
  • Vasodilators to improve blood flow

Surgical treatment options for heart valve disease

You might need surgery to repair or replace your heart valve if your symptoms get worse or if you have severe valve disease, even without symptoms. You may have specialists such as a surgeon, anesthesiologist and nurse coordinator on your care team. They will explain your options and outline what you need to do to prepare for surgery.

The procedure that’s right for you depends on your age, health and the valve that is affected. Along with valve repair or replacement, you might need treatment for other heart conditions.

Your provider might recommend:

• Minimally invasive procedures: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), transcatheter mitral repair (MitraClip, PASCAL), transcatheter tricuspid repair (TriClip) or replacement (Evoque) can be performed through catheters (thin tubes) threaded through a blood vessel. 
• Open or robot-assisted surgery: These surgical techniques can repair or replace valves. Replacement uses mechanical or biological (tissue) valves. 
• Investigational procedures: Banner Health also offers investigational procedures not widely offered. Your provider may discuss these with you, especially if conventional therapies are either not available or not good options for you.

Learn more about valve repair and replacement options.

Once your treatment plan is in place, it’s important to understand what recovery will look like and how to protect your heart long term.

What comes next if you have heart valve disease?

Whether you're newly diagnosed or have been living with valve disease for a while, the right care makes all the difference. Banner Health’s cardiologists, surgeons and heart specialists will guide you every step of the way through diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care.

We’ll help you create a care plan that includes follow-up appointments, lifestyle changes and questions to ask your cardiologist.

Schedule an appointment with a heart specialist at Banner Health.