Valve problems in children with heart disease: What patients and families should know

Mayo Clinic cardiac surgeon Joseph Dearani, M.D., discusses valve problems in children with heart disease and what is important for patients and families to know. He primarily focuses on a leaky (regurgitant) valve within aortic, tricuspid, and mitral valves. He discusses the range of diagnoses as well as the difficulty in timing surgery to repair or replace the valves. He also details some symptoms to watch for in your children. The usefulness of the echocardiogram is detailed, explaining how it is a roadmap for surgeons to determine if they can repair a valve. Lastly he discusses the techniques of repair and the importance of surgeon experience, medical therapy, both in the short and long-term, as well as a discussion on survival factors and an introduction to the ability of the Mayo Clinic team.

• More on congenital heart defects in children
• Joseph Dearani, M.D.