Pulmonary Valve Disease

Overview

Mayo Clinic is one of the largest and most experienced medical centers in the country for treatment of pulmonary heart valve regurgitation and pulmonary heart valve stenosis. Patients benefit from Mayo Clinic's state-of-the-art facilities, leading-edge medical treatment, and access to appropriate clinical trials and new treatments for pulmonary valve defects. Heart surgeons at Mayo Clinic have extensive experience and expertise in repairing and replacing pulmonary heart valves and have developed innovative surgical techniques.

Diagnosis

While pulmonary heart valve defects are fairly rare, Mayo Clinic has extensive experience in diagnosing and treating damaged pulmonary valves.

Within a few days, a team of heart valve disease specialists at Mayo Clinic coordinates the patient's diagnosis to provide a complete examination, diagnosis and extensive patient education. Read more about pulmonary valve disease diagnosis.

Treatment Options

Treatment of a damaged pulmonary valve depends on the type and severity identified in the diagnosis. Mayo Clinic emphasizes an integrated, collaborative team approach to provide the best possible care for each patient.

Patients with a mild to moderate pulmonary valve defect and no symptoms may be recommended for careful monitoring through regular medical checkups. Patients may be treated with various medications. For patients who require heart valve surgery, the cardiac surgeons at Mayo Clinic have a strong record of excellence in pulmonary heart valve repair and replacement.

Mayo Clinic also offers patients, when appropriate, options for experimental treatments through clinical trials, which often are unavailable at other medical centers.

Read more about pulmonary valve disease treatment options.

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About Pulmonary Valve Disease

Diseases of the pulmonary valve are fairly rare, and most are due to defects present at birth (congenital). However, sometimes valve damage can be caused by infectious diseases such as endocarditis or a rare condition called carcinoid heart disease. Pulmonary valve disorders can also be due to high blood pressure within the pulmonary (lung) blood vessels -- called pulmonary hypertension.

Oxygen-depleted blood is pumped by the right ventricle (lower chamber of the heart) through the pulmonary valve and into the lungs to pick up oxygen. The pulmonary valve acts like a door allowing pumped blood to travel to the lungs, then closing to prevent blood from flowing back into the right ventricle.

The pulmonary valve consists of three half-moon-shaped flaps of tissue called cusps. If these cusps are malformed, the valve may become narrowed (stenotic), reducing the amount of blood reaching the lungs, or the valve may allow blood to flow backward into the right ventricle, called regurgitation or a leaky (insufficient) valve.