Structural heart disease refers to problems with the heart’s valves, walls, or chambers that affect how blood flows through the heart. Traditionally, treating structural heart disease required open-heart surgery. Today, many of these conditions can be treated using catheter-based (transcatheter) techniques – offering effective treatment with shorter recovery times.
The Heart Team Approach
Deciding the best treatment for structural heart disease requires careful evaluation. At Central Sydney Cardiology, we work within a multidisciplinary Heart Team that includes interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, imaging specialists, and anaesthetists. Together, we review each patient’s condition and recommend the most appropriate treatment.
Available procedures
- TAVI — transcatheter aortic valve implantation — keyhole replacement of a narrowed aortic valve, including valve-in-valve treatment of a worn surgical bioprosthesis.
- TEER — transcatheter edge-to-edge repair — clip repair of leaking mitral and tricuspid valves (MitraClip, PASCAL, TriClip).
- Left atrial appendage occlusion — stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation for people who cannot take blood thinners (Watchman, Amulet).
- ASD and PFO closure — device closure of holes between the atria, including after stroke.
- Mitral valvuloplasty — balloon opening of a narrowed rheumatic mitral valve.
- Invasive haemodynamic assessment — direct pressure and flow measurement to guide valve and structural decisions.
Structural heart procedures at Central Sydney Cardiology are performed by A/Prof Jordan Fulcher at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and, for selected procedures, Strathfield Private Hospital; each page states where that procedure is performed.
Related: Heart Valve Disease | Aortic Disease