Structural Heart Conditions

Structural heart disease can impact your heart’s valves, chambers, walls, or muscles. You can be born with structural heart disease (congenital), or it can develop as you age. Structural heart disease includes cardiomyopathy, congenital heart disease, and heart valve disease. 

Our specialists take a comprehensive approach to your structural heart care. They provide the most innovative, progressive treatments for a wide range of conditions. Your heart is in good hands with Emory Healthcare.

The conditions we treat include:

• Atrial Septal Defects: This is a hole in the wall that separates the upper chambers of your heart.
• Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease: Only two of your aortic valve’s three leaflets work correctly with this condition. It can lead to aortic valve stenosis or regurgitation.
• Coarctation of the Aorta: The artery that supplies blood to your left arm is blocked or narrowed. It can cause high blood pressure.
• Ebstein’s Anomaly: This group of conditions affects your tricuspid valve. This valve separates your heart’s upper and lower chambers.
• Mitral Valve Stenosis and Regurgitation: Your mitral valve may narrow to restrict blood flow (stenosis). It also may not close completely and allow blood to flow into your lungs (regurgitation).
• Patent Foramen Ovale: A foramen ovale is a hole in the heart that lets oxygen pass from the umbilical cord to an unborn fetus. A patent foramen ovale is a hole that doesn’t close completely after birth.
• Paravalvular Leaks: These leaks develop on the edges of artificial valves where they are secured to heart tissue.
• Pulmonary Valve Stenosis and Regurgitation: The valve between your heart and lungs may narrow and restrict blood flow (stenosis). It may also not close completely, letting blow flow back to your heart (regurgitation).
• Single Ventricle Defects: This defect means only one chamber of your heart is strong enough to pump blood effectively.
• Tetralogy of Fallot: This is one of the most common heart defects in children. It causes low blood oxygen levels. It can also cause pulmonary valve problems, heart rhythm disorders, and other complications.
• Transposition of the Great Arteries: This condition reverses the positions of your aorta and pulmonary valve. It causes oxygen-rich blood to flow to your lungs instead of your body.
• Tricuspid Valve Stenosis and Regurgitation: The tricuspid valve between your heart’s right ventricle and atrium can narrow (stenosis) and decrease blood flow to your lungs. It also may not close completely and let blood leak back into your heart (regurgitation).
• Ventricular Septal Defects: This is a hole in the wall that separates the lower two chambers of your heart.

Emory Heart & Vascular is the regional leader in structural heart care.

In 2007, we became the first hospital system in Georgia to offer Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). This sophisticated procedure replaces your heart valve without open-heart surgery. It reduces complications, shortens your hospital stay and speeds up your recovery. To date, we’ve completed this procedure with over 5,000 patients.

We also offer several other FDA-approved minimally invasive and catheter-based therapies. At Emory Healthcare, you also get access to clinical trials that may offer new treatments that aren’t available everywhere. We partner with the National Institutes of Health and are the only clinical site for innovation in Georgia.