Valvular Heart Disease

There are many causes that lead to Valvular Heart Disease:

• Congenital (present at birth)
• Degeneration of valve tissues with age
• Drugs (migraine medications, diet pills) and radiation therapy (cancer treatment)
• Heart Attack, Atherosclerosis (build-up of fatty deposits in arteries), and high blood pressure
• Infections including Rheumatic Fever and Infective Endocarditis

Initially, you may not present any symptoms even if the damage to your affected valve is severe. However, the symptoms can progress to include:

• Fainting
• Fatigue
• Irregular heart beats
• Shortness of breath on exertion
• Swollen ankles

Different treatments are available for different valvular heart diseases, depending on the valves involved and the severity of the damage. The treatments include:

• Medication, though it is important that regular follow-up is maintained to prevent recurrence
• Non-surgical intervention:
  1. Balloon Valvuloplasty is recommended for patients whose valves are narrowed. A tiny balloon catheter is directed to the target valve, which is inflated and deflated several times, until the valve opening is widened sufficiently.
• Surgery may be needed when multiple valves are severely damaged and you may be referred to one of our interventional cardiologists or a cardiac surgeon:
  1. Valve Repairs result in fast recovery from surgery, very good survival rates and no need for life-long medical therapy, whilst maintaining your original valves
  2. Valve Replacement is usually performed for more complex cases and where the valves are severely damaged. This is a minimally invasive approach where the old valve is replaced with a new one.