Heart Valve Surgery
Advanced Heart Valve Repair
The team at the Heart Valve Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens is dedicated to developing and evaluating new, less invasive techniques for repairing and replacing damaged mitral, aortic, and pulmonary valves. Our experts have played a leading role in clinical trials assessing the latest percutaneous valve replacement approaches, giving our Center superior expertise in these new techniques.
Our program is the only one in Queens offering transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive technique for replacing abnormal, restricted aortic valves (a condition known as aortic stenosis). During the TAVR procedure, physicians insert a new prosthetic valve into the heart via the bloodstream using small incisions and catheters (long, flexible tubes)—sparing the patient from open heart surgery.
Aortic Valve Surgery
The aortic valve may be repaired or replaced with a bioprosthetic (tissue) or mechanical valve. There are multiple approaches to aortic valve treatment.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
TAVR is now an option for many patients with severe aortic stenosis. Our team of cardiac surgeons and interventional cardiologists will evaluate you to determine your eligibility for this treatment. During the procedure, a prosthetic valve is advanced to the heart through a catheter, guided by a special type of X-ray. The valve is positioned inside the patient's own valve and expanded. The diseased leaflets of the natural valve are pushed aside and replaced with the new prosthetic valve, which immediately begins to function.
Clinical trials, including those co-led by our physician-scientists, have shown TAVR to be a safe and effective minimally invasive option that results in shorter hospital stays and a lower risk of complications for patients of all ages and risk levels. This treatment was once primarily for patients considered to be at high risk of complications from traditional heart surgery, but it is now also used for low-risk patients who are experiencing symptoms.
Open heart aortic valve surgery
You may need open heart surgery to repair or replace an aortic valve if you have more than one damaged heart valve in need of treatment, or if you cannot have TAVR. Our experienced team provides open heart surgery with exceptional outcomes for patients who are candidates.
Mitral Valve Surgery
You may need surgery if you have mitral valve disease that cannot be effectively treated with medicine alone. The following options can help treat mitral valve disease in some patients:
- Surgical repair - During open heart mitral valve surgery, the surgeon accesses the heart and removes or repositions the diseased leaflets of the valve. If the valve is severely diseased, the surgeon will replace it with a mechanical or bioprosthetic valve. For some people, a minimally invasive surgical option is available where the procedure is performed through a smaller incision in the chest and the mitral valve is accessed between the ribs.
- MitraClip - This catheter-based treatment is available for patients with significant symptoms from degenerative mitral regurgitation (a leaky mitral valve) for whom surgery is too risky. The MitraClip device is a small clip that is advanced to the heart through a catheter threaded through a blood vessel in your leg. The clip is attached to your mitral valve and enables the valve to close more completely. This helps blood to flow normally through the heart.
Why Choose Us
NewYork-Presbyterian Queens is the only hospital in Queens offering surgery for diseased heart valves. Our cardiac surgeons and interventional cardiologists work closely with the cardiac specialists at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, who were part of the NewYork-Presbyterian team instrumental in the development and growth of TAVR. When you come to us for your care, you'll benefit from a multidisciplinary approach that combines the expertise of cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists, cardiothoracic imaging specialists, and anesthesiologists with experience caring for people undergoing heart surgery. Together, we assess you using the latest diagnostic tools and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for you. Make an appointment at our Heart Valve Center to find out how we can help.