Heart valve disease specialists at Rush are experts with excellent outcomes and years of experience in both open heart surgery and minimally invasive alternatives to repair or replace valves. In fact, Rush University Medical Center was among the first in Illinois to implement percutaneous transcatheter therapies, including transaortic valve replacement (TAVR) and transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER). Our clinical trial participation led to FDA approval of many new procedures and devices for heart valve disease care, including the MitraClip device and the TriClip device, a minimally invasive treatment for tricuspid regurgitation.
Rush heart valve specialists can also offer access to new clinical trials, providing patients with treatment that they may not find elsewhere. These include trials for new devices to replace tricuspid valves and mitral valves, which give more options to those who are not good candidates for TEER. And Rush is the only center in Illinois and many surrounding states where patients can undergo mitral valve replacement via catheterization.
Each patient’s case is reviewed and discussed at weekly conferences by a full team of specialists, including cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists and imaging cardiologists. This team-based approach provides patients with comprehensive diagnoses and a full range of perspectives on their options for care.
Who Are Ideal Candidates for Heart Valve Disease Treatment at Rush?
Any patient with moderate to severe heart valve dysfunction will find expert care at Rush. That includes patients who require reinterventions, those who require care options that are not available at other centers and those who are not good candidates for open heart surgery and require minimally invasive procedures.
Even those who do not need direct medical intervention, such as patients with mild stenosis or regurgitation, can be monitored and have routine follow-up at our structural clinic or with general cardiologists. They can perform thorough diagnostic testing and create personalized care plans if additional treatment is needed.
Why Refer Patients Here?
- Minimally invasive procedures: Our interventional cardiologists can offer alternatives to open heart surgery with catheter-based procedures and device implantation, including TAVR and TEER. These can provide options to those who are not eligible for traditional surgery.
- Personalized treatment plans: Each patient meets with a team of specialists, including an interventional cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon, who have weekly conferences to employ a team-based approach to every case. They develop custom treatment plans relying on perspectives from every field of heart and vascular care.
- Clinical trials and studies: Our participation in the TRILUMINATE study led to the FDA approval of the TriClip device, a minimally invasive treatment for tricuspid regurgitation, and many more of our trials have led to new techniques and devices for heart valve disease care. Our specialists continue to participate in research and clinical trials aimed at improving outcomes for patients with heart valve diseases. These trials can offer patients options for care that they may not find anywhere else and alternatives for patients who are not eligible for standard treatment.
- Nationally ranked health care: U.S. News & World Report includes Rush University Medical Center on its Best Hospitals Honor Roll and ranks our cardiology and heart and vascular surgery programs among the best in the nation.
What Is the Process for Referring a Patient?
To refer a patient to Rush for heart valve disease treatment, you can call the Provider Express Line at (312) 947-4725 or learn more on our Refer or Transfer a Patient page where you can find an online referral form. Most referred patients are seen within a week, and many can be seen sooner if all necessary medical records are provided.
The Rush heart and vascular team includes referring physicians on plans and decision making for patient care and communicates all results of testing or treatment. The team can communicate directly via phone calls and texts or contact referring physicians’ offices via phone or mailed letter.
Conditions We Treat
- Aortic Stenosis
- Heart Murmur
- Leaky Heart Valve
- Mitral Stenosis
- Mitral Valve Prolapse
- Mitral Valve Regurgitation
- Pulmonary Stenosis
Treatments and Tests Offered
- MRI
- Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (MitraClip Procedure)
- Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) Procedure
- Transcatheter edge to edge replacement (TEER)
- Valve Replacement
- Valvuloplasty
