Heart Valve Care
The FirstHealth Valve Clinic offers a multidisciplinary approach to treating patients with complex valve disorders. Our team of expert cardiovasular surgeons, cardiologists and other cardiac care specialists deliver the highest quality of care in our region.
FirstHealth Heart Valve Clinic
At the heart of the Valve Clinic philosophy is the share care philosophy, which promotes building strong relationships between our patients’ own referring physicians and the Valve Clinic team. The Valve Clinic team works closely with referring physicians in the clinical decision-making and treatment plans to insure a smooth transition for patients as they go return to the care of their own physicians.
At FirstHealth Valve Clinic we have all a multidisciplinary team of specialists under one roof and breakthrough industry leading technology packaged together to provide complete diagnosis and treatment in days. Initial patient appointments are available at Reid Heart Center in Pinehurst.
Conditions We Treat
The heart has four valves—mitral, aortic, pulmonary and tricuspid—that open and close to regulate blood flow into, out of and through the chambers of the heart. Problems with the valves can interrupt blood flow throughout the body. When the valves malfunction, they can cause:
- Regurgitation - the valve doesn't close properly causing blood to backflow
- Stenosis - when the valves thicken or fuse together and don't open properly
- Atresia - when the valve has no opening for blood to pass through
Symptoms
Many people with malformed heart valves go a lifetime with no problems, but if you are experiencing any of the symptoms below your symptoms might be the result of a damaged heart valve:
- Unusual fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling around the ankles, feet, or abdomen
