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Valve & Structural Heart Disease Care

If you were born with, or developed a heart valve disease, trust your care to the specialists at St. Mary's-Heart & Vascular Center in Duluth, MN or 32nd Avenue Clinic in Fargo, ND. We offer a comprehensive Structural Heart Disease Program. You can depend on our team to explain your options, answer your questions, and guide you through your health care journey.

Make an Appointment

St. Mary’s (Duluth)-Heart & Vascular Center
Call 218-786-3443


32nd Avenue (Fargo)-Heart & Vascular Center
Call 701-364-2328

What's Heart Valve Disease?

Your blood flow is controlled by four valves in your heart: the aortic, mitral, pulmonary, and tricuspid valves. If you have a heart valve disease, your valves are not working correctly and your heart has to work harder than it should. Some people are born with valve problems while others develop them as they get older.

Conditions We Treat

Essentia's heart specialists treat common heart valve diseases and structural heart conditions including:

Sometimes, a valve and structural heart condition can lead to a heart rhythm disorder. You can count on Essentia’s team to treat the underlying problem, as well as any complications that may happen.

Non-Surgical Treatments

Your health care team will work with you to create a personalized treatment plan that suits your goals and preferences. Depending on your situation, your doctor may recommend regular monitoring or heart-healthy lifestyle habits to see if your condition changes or you develop symptoms before you try medications or a medical procedure to replace a valve in your heart.

Medications

You may be able to control symptoms or prevent complications of your valve or structural heart condition with medications. Your team at Essentia can provide comprehensive medication management services.

Surgical Treatments

Count on your doctors to help you determine if heart surgery is right for you. Your health care team may recommend:

  • Open heart surgery, such as surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR)
  • Minimally invasive mitral valve repair and replacement, which uses a MitraClip® device to repair a leaky mitral valve
  • Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
  • Surgical Mitral Valve Repair and Replacement
  • Aortic Root Surgery
  • Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty (BAV)
  • Balloon Mitral Valvuloplasty
  • Left Arterial Appendage (LAA) closure with Watchman
  • Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) and Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) Closure
  • Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) Closure
  • Closure of Paravalvular Leaks
  • Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (EVAR)
  • Septal Ablation for Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Watchman

Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is a type of arrhythmia where your heart beats irregularly. If you have AFib that isn’t caused by a heart valve problem, also called non-valvular AFib, your doctor may recommend getting a Watchman device instead of taking the blood thinners. A Watchman can reduce your risk of having a stroke.

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Team-Based Care

In addition to your primary care doctor, your valve and structural heart care team may include:

  • Heart & Vascular Services

    When it comes to your heart health, count on the experts at Essentia Health. Explore the wide range of heart and vascular services we offer to help you live the life you love.

  • TAVR

    If you have aortic stenosis, you may benefit from minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) at Essentia Health in Duluth.

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