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Minimally Invasive Valve Surgery

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What is Minimally Invasive Valve Surgery?

Heart Valve Conditions

Your heart has four different valves. These valves open to let blood pass and then close to keep blood from flowing in the wrong direction. Heart valve disease occurs when something is wrong with one of these valves.

Some people are born with heart valve disease, while others develop it later in life. Heart valves can malfunction in two ways:

  • The valve opening may be too small, so not enough blood can pass through. This is called "stenosis."
  • The valve may not close completely, allowing blood to leak back through, a condition called "regurgitation."

Symptoms of Heart Valve Disease

It’s possible to have severe heart valve disease without any symptoms. Other patients may have symptoms even though their disease is not serious. Symptoms include:

  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Weakness during regular activities
  • Dizziness or fainting
  • Discomfort in the chest
  • Palpitations or feeling that your heart has missed a beat
  • Swelling in ankles, feet or stomach
  • Sudden and unexplained weight gain
  • Headaches

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Call (585) 275-5384

UR Medicine's Approach

Treating heart valve disease takes a complete understanding of the condition—and all the treatment options—to make the right decisions about each patient’s care. That’s why the UR Medicine Advanced Heart Valve Center is focused solely on the latest treatment options for heart valve problems.

If heart valve disease is suspected, a doctor will first listen to your heart for a "murmur" that might suggest a valve is not working correctly.

If this is the case, your doctor will recommend imaging tests to see if you have heart valve disease. The most commonly performed test to assess valve function is the cardiac ultrasound.

Treatments for heart valve disease depend on the severity of the disease. Mild heart valve disease may only need to be monitored by your doctor periodically. Moderate heart valve disease can often be treated with medication. But severe heart valve disease frequently requires surgery.

UR Medicine works continually to develop minimally invasive techniques for many types of heart valve surgery. In each procedure, every effort is made to limit trauma to the patient. In minimally invasive procedures, one or more small incisions are made between the ribs, giving easy access and visibility to all internal areas. Compared to open-chest surgery, minimally invasive techniques result in:

  • Less pain
  • Quicker recovery
  • Improved quality of life and heart function
  • Easier mobility and walking
  • Lower risk of complications
  • A shorter hospital stay and quicker return home
  • Faster return to "normal life" (often in two weeks)
  • Minimal assistance once home
  • Earlier, more consistent cardiac rehabilitation program
  • Less scarring

UR Medicine’s Cardiac Care team is extensively skilled at minimally invasive techniques for patients who need: 

What Sets Us Apart?

We were the first Heart Valve program in the Rochester metropolitan area and surrounding region. UR Medicine has a rich history of leadership in heart care and a large team of cardiologists providing comprehensive care.

UR Medicine is a referral center for the most complex heart surgeries, which means other hospitals send their most challenging cases to us. These other hospitals trust us because UR Medicine Cardiac Care leads the Rochester metropolitan area and surrounding region in the number and scope of specialized services.

Our specialty programs for conditions such as heart failure, heart transplant, and cardio-oncology ensure that you get the very latest treatments for a wide range of conditions.

As part of an academic medical center, we are involved in studies of the latest treatments. So, our patients’ care is informed by the very latest findings.

Providers

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Locations

We serve you in the Rochester metropolitan area and surrounding region.

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5 locations

Cardiac Rehabilitation - Hornell
Part of St. James Hospital

St. James Medical Office Building
7309 Seneca Road North, Suite 104
Hornell, NY 14843

Cardiac Rehabilitation Center - Brighton
Part of Strong Memorial Hospital

Canal View Office Complex
140 Canal View Boulevard, Suite 104
Rochester, NY 14623

Paul N. Yu Heart Center - Rochester
Part of Strong Memorial Hospital

Ambulatory Care Center at Strong Memorial Hospital
601 Elmwood Avenue, Ground Floor
Rochester, NY 14626

Cardiac Rehabilitation - Canandaigua
Part of FF Thompson Hospital

FF Thompson Hospital
350 Parrish Street
Canandaigua, NY 14424

Cardiac Rehabilitation - Wellsville
Part of Jones Memorial Hospital

Jones Memorial Hospital
191 North Main St​reet
Wellsville, NY 14895

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