Structural Heart and Heart Valve Disease
- For all other requests:
- 1-800-777-8442
The University of Iowa Heart and Vascular Center team has decades of experience in diagnosing and treating structural heart disease. We’re experts in treating conditions that include:
- Aortic stenosis
- Atrial septal defect (ASD)
- Congenital heart disease
- Mitral valve regurgitation
- Tricuspid valve disease
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
We’ve treated thousands of patients with complex structural heart and valve disease, using the latest technology and the newest treatments that you can’t get anywhere else.
Whether you were born with your heart condition or developed it later, our specialists can help you feel better and live longer.
Iowa's most comprehensive center
The UI Heart and Vascular Center has the largest structural heart and valve disease program in the state.
Our interventional cardiologists perform Iowa’s largest volume of many minimally invasive procedures, including mitral valve repair and aortic valve replacement. And they have years of experience that have built their expertise in even the most complex procedures. It all adds up to excellent outcomes for our patients.
As an academic medical center, we also research and refine the next generation of treatments. In many cases, we’re the only center in the state where you can receive the very latest therapies as part of national and global clinical trials.
When you choose UI Health Care, you have access to the widest range of the most advanced treatments for all types of structural heart and valve disease.
Seamless care for a lifetime
A heart condition that’s congenital, or present at birth, requires lifelong care. UI Health Care is the only place in Iowa where children with congenital heart disease can get seamless care from infancy to adulthood.
When you develop a long-term relationship with your care team, they can closely monitor and track your heart function. They’re familiar with the problems that you face as you age, and they’re experts in the latest therapies.
Our approach to structural heart and valve disease care
When you choose the UI Heart and Vascular Center for your heart care, your experience begins with an appointment with an interventional cardiologist. Depending on your condition, you might also see a heart surgeon or other specialists in separate appointments.
Your care team of heart specialists includes:
- Interventional cardiologists
- Cardiovascular surgeons
- Cardiac imaging specialists
- Cardiac anesthesiologists
- Advanced practice providers
Your providers will schedule a series of tests. These tests will help them get a full look at the anatomy of your heart so they can diagnose your condition or confirm a diagnosis you already have. If you don’t live near a UI Health Care campus, we can give your local hospital instructions for performing the tests.
When the test results are in, your team will make a detailed plan for your care. Depending on your condition, overall health, and unique anatomy, your plan could include:
- Monitoring through regular checkups
- Medication
- A cardiac catheterization procedure
- Heart surgery
- Heart transplant
Structural heart and valve test and treatments
- Cardiac MRI
- Chest X-ray
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Exercise stress test
- Heart Surgery (Minimally Invasive)
- Heart transplant
- Heart valve surgery
- Holter or event monitor
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)
- Left atrial appendage closure (Watchman)
- Nuclear stress test
- Pacemaker
- Paravalvular leak closure
- Patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure
- Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
- Transcatheter mitral valve repair and replacement (MitraClip)
Structural heart and valve disease conditions treated
- Aortic stenosis
- Aortic valve regurgitation
- Atrial septal defect (ASD)
- Damaged artificial heart valve
- Heart valve disease
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)
- Left atrial appendage occlusion
- Mitral valve regurgitation
- Paravalvular leak (PVL)
- Patent foramen ovale (PFO)
- Tricuspid valve regurgitation
- Ventricular septal defect (VSD)
Our Care Team
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
Structural Heart Nurse Coordinator
- Angela Kipp, RN, BSN
- Erin Walsh, RN, BSN
Research Coordinator
- Amy Ollinger, RN, BSN