Sequoia Hospital Mitral Valve Center
The surgeons and cardiologists at Sequoia Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Institute are known throughout the West Coast as experts in evaluating and treating mitral valve disorders. We specialize in a variety of treatment options including minimally-invasive (surgical) treatment options and offer years of experience in providing individualized care plans with the best possible outcomes. Call to speak with a patient navigator:
Focused on safety. So you can focus on healing.
Our facilities follow CDC guidelines to help protect patients and staff. If you need to see a doctor, don’t delay getting the care you need.
Learn More About Mitral Valve Surgery
Meet the Sequoia Cardiac Team
Meet the Sequoia Cardiac Team
You're considering mitral valve surgery. Now what?
What is recovery like?
Repair or replace?
What outcomes are important?
How is surgery performed?
Coming From Out of Town?
If you are coming to the Sequoia Hospital Heart and Vascular Institute from outside of the Bay Area, our team is ready to help you prior to your arrival.
We are located approximately 30 minutes from San Francisco International Airport and can provide guidance about:
- Hotel and/or lodging options in the area
- Transportation options to and from the hospital
- Coordinating multiple appointments you may have during your visit
We can coordinate a complimentary teleconference for you to speak to one of our cardiac specialists prior to your appointment at Sequoia Hospital. During the phone/video conference, one of our specialists will review your upcoming appointment and answer any questions you may have before your departure.
Please contact Julie Biglieri for travel-related questions or to arrange a phone/video consultation to speak with a cardiac specialist and have your case reviewed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mitral valve repair surgery is used to treat a condition called mitral regurgitation, also known as a leaky mitral valve. Surgeries can be performed through minimally invasive approaches, including robotic assistance, small incisions along the chest wall, or so-called mini-thoracotomy and port access, or through a small incision in front of your chest, called a mini-sternotomy.
You’ll want to know how many procedures the surgeon and hospital has performed. In general, surgeons and surgery centers with less experience, performing fewer than 50 mitral valve operations a year, are less likely to have the necessary skill that it takes to repair your valve as reliably as a center with higher volume. Variance in the level of experience can make the difference between repairing your valve and needing to replace it.
There are many factors, such as your age. At Sequoia Hospital’s Mitral Valve Center, we are proud of our history of providing positive outcomes to our patients. In. patients under the age of 80 that underwent isolate mitral valve repair, which is about 600 patients for us now, our patients had a 0% 30-day mortality.
If your valve can be repaired, the vast majority of patients should enjoy a wonderful life free of additional heart operations.
Surgeons all have different valve repair rates. This is why it’s important to seek surgeons with the most experience, who have data to back up their experience and claims, and who can offer reliable repair 95% of time.
Nothing in medicine and surgery is without the potential for complications. Therefore, it is our recommendation that you not have surgical procedure unless it is absolutely necessary. Thankfully, we do live in a day and age where open-heart operations are done safely and with very, very few difficulties. And at the Sequoia Mitral Valve Center, our outcomes rank among the best nationally.
Our group at Sequoia Hospital has worked on doing this procedure, in most cases, with minimally invasive techniques, using smaller incisions with exactly the same safety profile compared to full sternotomy.
This approach allows us to perform the procedure in a safe manner while providing us the best ability to repair the mitral valve.
If your valve needs to be replaced, you will need to consider a choice of valve for replacement before the actual date of the operation. The choices are: tissue, bioprosthetic, mechanical or metal.
Mechanical valves are very durable, lasting in many people a lifetime, but they require blood-thinning known as Coumadin therapy. This may require changes in lifestyle to minimize the possibility of serious bleeding. On the other hand, tissue valves don't require blood-thinner or Coumadin therapy, but are less durable. This is important to know if you’re under the age of 70, because the valve could eventually wear out and require a second operation down the road.
The bottom line is the type of valve that’s right for you is a decision best made collaboratively between you and your doctor.
About Sequoia Hospital
Sequoia Hospital + Cleveland Clinic
Sequoia’s Heart and Vascular Institute is affiliated with the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic Sydell and Arthur Miller Sydell Miller Heart and Vascular Institute, #1 in the nation for heart care since 1995 by U.S. News and World Report.
Highest Rating for Mitral Valve Surgery
Sequoia Hospital’s Mitral Valve Center has received a three-star rating, the highest possible, from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for excellent in mitral valve replacement or repair surgery.
Best for Patient Care
Sequoia Hospital has earned the Healthgrades 2018 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™, which recognizes us as among the top 15 percent of hospitals nationwide.
Voted Best Hospital by Bay Area Parent
At Sequoia Hospital, we strive to provide a healthcare experience that is truly unique – all of the advanced care of a leading medical facility within a welcoming and comfortable community hospital setting.