Valve disease requires a close collaboration among interventional cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons offers patients the best of both worlds, given the emerging techniques for percutaneous valve therapy. Early referral is critical to valve disease. Our surgeons have tremendous success in performing mitral valve repairs in patients with early-stage disease, replacing valves with a manufactured or animal valve and removing obstructive tissue from below the valve. And when patients require valvulolasty, our surgeons and interventional cardiologists are experts in the procedure.

The UCSF Heart Valve Disease Clinic provides patients with advanced valve disease a quantitative assessment of valve function and initiatives appropriate treatment. Patients are evaluated by cardiologists and cardiac surgeons who specialize in valvular heart disease. A joint decision among the specialists on the best treatment for each patient is offered, which may include medical therapy, cardiac interventional procedures or surgery.