Medical treatment
- See your doctor for regular appointments.
- Take all medicine like your doctor tells you to.
- Don’t smoke.
- Eat healthy foods.
- Get regular exercise.
- Control your blood pressure.
Surgery
- Fix your valve.
- Put in a new valve.
- There are different kinds of valve surgery: Traditional surgery = bigger incision, Minimally invasive = smaller incisions.
Catheter treatments
- A catheter is a long, thin tube that can be used to fix a valve or put a new valve in place.
- TAVR uses a catheter to replace the aortic valve.
- TMVR uses a catheter to replace the mitral valve.
- MitraClip is a small device that helps the mitral valve close tighter.
- Balloon Valvotomy uses a catheter with a tiny balloon at the end. The balloon opens up a narrow mitral or aortic valve to let more blood flow through it.
Living with Valve Disease
Healthy valve tips
- See your heart doctor for regular visits.
- Take all your medications like your doctor tells you to.
- Control your blood pressure.
- Prevent heart valve infection (endocarditis). Make sure you: Take care of your teeth and gums; brush your teeth and see your dentist for regular check-ups.
- Ask your doctor if you need to take medicine before you have a medical or dental procedure.
- Do not use dirty needles for tattoos, body piercings or IV drug use.
- Call your doctor if you have signs of infection.
