Structural and Valvular Heart Care

Find comprehensive care for structural heart conditions at Cone Health. Remain close to home—and your support network—while getting advanced care from a multidisciplinary team that works together to create a customized treatment plan designed for you.

What is structural heart disease?

Heart Valve Structural heart disease refers to conditions that affect your heart’s valves, walls, chambers, or muscles. Structural heart disease can exist from birth or develop as you age. Examples of structural heart disease problems we treat include:

Patent foramen ovale (PFO)
Atrial septal defects (ASD)
Complications or failure of previously placed bioprosthetic surgical valves
Aortic stenosis
Mitral regurgitation

Multidisciplinary Heart Valve Team

We have a comprehensive team of interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, advanced cardiac imaging specialists, advanced practice providers and nurses who work closely together to provide coordinated care that supports the best outcome for you.

Personalized care navigator support: Enjoy personal support and guidance from Cone Health’s dedicated nurse navigators. Count on your nurse navigators to answer your questions, connect you with support resources, coordinate your care and make sure you know how to prepare for your procedure.

How Is Heart Valve Disease Diagnosed?

To diagnose heart valve disease, your doctor will physically examine you, ask about your symptoms, and review your personal and family medical histories. You also may require diagnostic tests such as:

Cardiac catheterization – evaluates blood flow to your heart muscle
Computed tomography (CT) angiogram – creates detailed X-ray images of your heart and blood vessels.
Echocardiogram – uses ultrasound to create a moving picture of your heart. Procedure done through the chest wall.
Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) – uses ultrasound to create a moving picture of your heart. Procedure done in the hospital with a specialized probe passed down the esophagus. This allows more detailed pictures of heart valves and other cardiac structures.
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – reveals structure and function of your heart without exposing you to radiation.

Structural Heart Treatments Offered at Cone Health

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR): A minimally invasive surgery that allows a new valve to be inserted within your diseased aortic valve. Moses Cone Hospital is the only hospital in the Triad rated High Performing for the TAVR procedure by U.S. News & World Report, both in 2023-2024 and in 2024-2025.
Transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR):A minimally invasive procedure to replace a failed surgical mitral valve replacement.
Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER): A minimally invasive procedure to repair a leaky mitral valve (mitral regurgitation).
Closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) and atrial septal defects (ASD): A minimally invasive procedure to close congenital defects (holes between the top two chambers of the heart) when indicated. Indications include changes to the right side of the heart, elevated lung pressures, oxygen issues or stroke. Sometimes no procedure is required.
Transcatheter left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO): A minimally invasive procedure to reduce the risk of blood clots from the left atrial appendage entering the blood stream and causing a stroke. This is only approved for people with atrial fibrillation at elevated risk for stroke.
Catheter based repair of prosthetic valve leaks: A minimally invasive procedure to help plug leaks around previously replaced valves.