pic

Our Services / Structural Heart Disease

Structural Heart Disease

Your heart is a complex muscular organ that beats 100,000 times a day, delivering oxygen-rich blood to all the parts of your body. When you have structural heart disease, it means you have a problem with one of the components that make up this complex organ. The cardiovascular specialists at ARK Cardiovascular & Arrhythmia Center are experts at diagnosing and treating structural heart disease at their offices in Dearborn, Detroit, and Trenton, Michigan. Schedule an evaluation by calling the office or booking online today.


Structural Heart Disease Q & A

What is structural heart disease?

Structural heart disease describes a defect in the structure of the heart, affecting normal cardiac function. Structural abnormalities may affect any part of your heart, such as the:

  • Muscle
  • Valves
  • Chambers
  • Walls that separate the chambers
  • Major arteries

Structural heart disease impairs the heart’s ability to efficiently pump blood, potentially leading to other heart problems like a heart attack or heart failure. 

In most cases, people are born with these structural defects. However, structural changes may occur with aging or from some other heart condition. 

What are the types of structural heart disease?

There are many types of structural heart disease. These types depend on the part of the heart affected, and include:

Heart valve disease

Heart valve disease means there’s a problem with one or more of the valves in the heart, affecting the flow of blood through the heart. 

Aortic valve stenosis is a type of heart valve disease that causes a narrowing of the aortic valve, decreasing blood flow through the heart. Mitral valve regurgitation means the mitral valve is unable to completely close, allowing blood to flow backward into the heart.

Septal defects

A septal defect refers to a hole in one of the walls in the heart, and includes atrial septal defect (ASD) and ventricular septal defect (VSD).  

Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy is a defect in the heart muscles, such as stiffening or hardening.

Myocarditis

Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle.

What tests diagnose structural heart disease?

If the team at ARK Cardiovascular & Arrhythmia Center suspects you have structural heart disease, they may run a number of tests to diagnose the defect at their diagnostic and imaging center in Trenton. 

Testing might include:

  • Electrocardiogram (EKG)
  • Echocardiogram
  • Stress testing
  • MRI of the heart

In some cases, the cardiovascular specialists may perform a minimally invasive catheterization procedure to diagnose structural heart disease.

What are the treatments for structural heart disease?

Treatment for structural heart disease depends on the heart disease type. The highly skilled team at ARK Cardiovascular & Arrhythmia Center customizes care so patients get the best outcomes.

Some patients may only require monitoring of their condition, while others may need medications such as blood thinners to prevent blood clots. In some cases, the team may recommend surgery to correct the structural defect.

ARK Cardiovascular & Arrhythmia Center provides compassionate and state-of-the-art care. Call the office nearest you, or schedule an appointment online today.