Structural heart

• Rapid appointment scheduling - Our goal is for every patient in our care to be seen by a structural heart specialist within 48 hours of contact.
• Convenient care close to home - The Structural Heart Center is based at Research Medical Center, but our three structural heart clinics across Kansas City means you won't have to travel far to receive the specialized care you need.
• Access to leading-edge procedures - We offer the latest minimally-invasive procedures and access to clinical trials to provide care for patients who have previously been told they were out of options or that surgery was too risky.
• A multidisciplinary team approach to care - Each and every patient will see cardiologist and a cardiothoracic surgeon, but be assured, a team of highly-skilled cardiologists, interventional cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons and other heart specialists collaborate behind the scenes to develop the best treatment plan for you.
• Care tailored to fit you - Your lifestyle, desires and needs will always be taken into account when developing your treatment plan.
• Early detection and intervention of structural heart conditions with Care Assure - The only patented information technology system in the area that uses tests already being performed during an inpatient, outpatient or ER visit to automatically scan for structural heart problems. This results in faster detection and intervention so our patients can begin to heal and get back to their lives.
• The Kansas City area leader in cardiac care - At HCA Midwest Health we perform more heart procedures and surgeries than any other health system in the area.

Our cardiology services include surgical treatment options for heart and heart valve conditions. Our heart surgeons perform:

• Aortic valve replacement
  • Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
• Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC)
• Transcatheter mitral valve treatment (TAVR)
  • Transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr)
  • Transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR)
  • Mitral valve balloon valvotomy
• Atrial septal defect (ASD)/patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure

As people age, their aortic valve can narrow. This condition, called aortic stenosis, can cause symptoms that significantly impact their quality of life and even increase the risk of death. Patients with severe aortic stenosis should seek immediate treatment.

If you have aortic stenosis, your cardiologist may recommend that you undergo aortic valve replacement. In this procedure, your damaged valve is removed and an artificial valve is put in its place.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)

While aortic valve replacement typically is done via open-heart surgery, cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons at HCA Midwest offer transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a nonsurgical, minimally invasive approach to aortic heart valve replacement. This procedure is performed at the Heart & Vascular Institute’s Structural Heart Clinic.

With TAVR, a cardiologist inserts a new bioprosthetic aortic valve using a catheter (a long, thin tub) through an artery in the leg. The doctor then makes sure the new valve is working properly before closing the incision. The procedure takes about one to two hours to complete.

If you have a heart arrhythmia, such as atrial fibrillation, it can cause blood to collect in the left atrial appendage (a small sac in the upper left chamber of the heart). This pooling can result in blood clots, which increase the risk of stroke. To prevent this, our surgeons can seal the left atrial appendage so that clots are unable to exit. This reduces the risk of stroke without the need for long-term blood thinner medication.

Our cardiac surgeons perform left atrial appendage closure procedures using leading-edge surgical technologies.

The mitral valve separates the left atrium, which fills with blood from the lungs, from the left ventricle, which pumps and pushes blood out to the aorta. Mitral valve regurgitation occurs when the mitral heart valve doesn't close completely, causing blood to flow backward into the left atrium instead of going out to the brain and other organs.

Medication can't treat mitral regurgitation because it is a structural issue. Symptomatic moderate to severe mitral valve issues will require surgery or a minimally invasive nonsurgical procedure. Minimally invasive techniques we use to treat the issue include:

• Transcatheter mitral valve repair — A catheter-based, minimally invasive procedure to repair the faulty valve.
• Transcatheter mitral valve replacement — A minimally invasive, catheter-based procedure for replacing a bioprosthetic mitral valve.
• Mitral valve balloon valvotomy — A catheter-based technique performed by an interventional cardiologist to treat a diseased mitral valve with stenosis. A balloon is inserted through the femoral vein into the stenotic mitral valve area then dilated to relieve the stenosis.

A patent foramen ovale (PFO) occurs when there is a hole between the heart's left and right atria. An atrial septal defect (ASD) is a hole in the part of the septum that separates the atria, the upper chambers of the heart.

To close a PFO or an ASD, the surgeon will thread a catheter into an incision, through the veins and into the heart. Once in the septum, the surgeon will open a tiny umbrella-like device to close the hole at the end of the catheter.