Structural Heart and Valve Disease

A dedicated team of cardiologists, heart surgeons and other health care professionals at the Swedish Heart & Vascular Institute (SHVI) in Seattle, Wash., work together to diagnose and treat structural heart disease.

What is Structural Heart and Valve Disease?
Appointments & Referrals
Conditions We Treat

What Is Structural Heart and Valve Disease?

The heart is a complex organ that has four chambers, a muscular wall, multiple valves, and many veins and arteries. All of these components must work consistently and efficiently to pump blood throughout the body.

Cross-section of a normal heart:

Some heart defects may be present at birth (congenital heart disease). Other defects occur due to illness, injury and aging. 

Structural heart and valve disease is the broad term for all conditions that affect the structures that comprise the heart:

• Chambers
• Walls
• Valves

Specialists in structural heart and valve disease at SHVI use the most advanced imaging to diagnose and evaluate structural heart conditions. These specialists perform highly sophisticated open-heart and catheter-based procedures to correct many different structural heart conditions, including treatments such as:

• Transcatheter aortic valve replacement 
• MitraClip® for mitral valve repair 
• Left atrial appendage closure to help prevent stroke 
• Patent foramen ovale closure to help prevent stroke 
• Septal defect closure 

Appointments & Referrals

The Structural Heart and Valve Disease team sees patients through referrals from their primary-care providers or cardiologists. This ensures patients receive the most appropriate care. 

Patients with a referral from their primary-care provider or a cardiologist, as well as patients who would like a second opinion, may call us to schedule an appointment.

Physician Referrals

Physicians may print, complete and fax the Structural Heart and Valve Disease Referral Form (PDF) 

Conditions We Treat

Swedish has a team of heart specialists who have expertise in conditions related to the structures of the heart, including:

• Aortic Valve Stenosis and Regurgitation 
• Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) 
• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy 
• Mitral Valve Stenosis and Regurgitation 
• Paravalvular Leak 
• Patent Ductus Arteriosus 
• Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) 
• Pulmonary Valve Stenosis and Regurgitation 
• Stroke Risk Due to Atrial Fibrillation 
• Tricuspid Valve Stenosis and Regurgitation 
• Ventricular Aneurysm 
• Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) 

For more information about structural heart or valve disease, or to schedule an appointment or request a second opinion, please give us a call. 

We invite you to explore our website to learn about the conditions we treat, the state-of-the-art therapies we are able to offer, and the advanced imaging we use. Through our website, you will also discover why so many people choose Swedish for their structural heart and valve disease care.