Valvular heart disease at the Clínic

Patients with valvular heart disease treated at the Hospital Clínic are cared for by a highly specialized multidisciplinary team made up of clinical cardiologists, imaging and structural interventional cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, geriatricians, anesthesiologists, and specialized nursing staff. 

The most complex cases are discussed weekly in a committee where the patient is presented by their physician, the performed tests are reviewed, and the most suitable treatment is decided for each case. In this decision, besides clinical and anatomical criteria, the patient’s preferences expressed during their visit are also taken into account. 

Each year, around 300 patients with valvular disease undergo surgical intervention and another 300 receive percutaneous treatment. 

At the Clínic, all available and clinically accepted surgical and percutaneous options are performed. The hospital is equipped with the latest technology, both diagnostic (3D transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, dedicated cardiac MRI, and low-radiation CT) and therapeutic (use of “mini” probes for monitoring during percutaneous treatments, and minimally invasive surgical techniques with or without robotic access). 

As for postoperative care, an early physiotherapy program is initiated, and the nursing staff is responsible for ensuring proper healing of postoperative wounds. 

After treatment, the patient is followed up at the outpatient clinic of the Clínic for as long as the professionals consider necessary. Afterwards, they are referred back to their local cardiologist. 

The Hospital Clínic has a patient coordinator who facilitates communication between the patient, the referring physicians, and the hospital itself, and helps organize examinations so that the patient’s experience throughout the diagnostic and therapeutic process is as smooth as possible. 

In addition, the hospital offers patients the opportunity to participate in various research studies and contribute altruistically to medical advances.