Heart and valve care in Nashville
When you need advanced care for heart and valve disease, a team of experienced specialists at Ascension Saint Thomas Heart delivers advanced diagnostics and valve disease imaging, personalized therapeutic and surgical treatment and rehabilitation support:
- Leading technologies and advanced treatment options, including robotic surgery
- Renowned excellence in minimally invasive catheter-based procedures, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).
- Follow-up care and cardiac rehabilitation to get you back to your life
At Ascension Saint Thomas Heart, we have multidisciplinary care teams dedicated to caring for your heart. You can have confidence knowing your care team is one of the most experienced teams in the country. We bring together the expertise of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, cardiac interventionists, and cardiac imaging specialists to diagnose and treat complex heart valve disease. Our nationally recognized cardiac team cares for more adult hearts than anyone in the state, offering the largest network of cardiologists with 45 locations. And, our heart specialists are part of a national team and trained in the latest heart care testing, treatment and procedures.
Your doctor starts by listening to you, to better understand you and your symptoms. Your doctor may recommend advanced diagnostic testing. Then, your doctor works with you to create a personalized care plan that may include ongoing care and medication management, therapeutic treatment, heart surgery and cardiac rehabilitation.
The cardiac team at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West received the Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award from the American Heart Association and recognition from the Mitral Foundation for excellence in mitral valve repair surgery in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital also earned the exclusive “High Performing” status in all cardiac categories, including aortic valve surgery, heart bypass surgery and TAVR. Ascension Saint Thomas Heart is the only medical center in the state to achieve the highest-quality (3-star rating) designation by STS/ACC TVT Registry, a collaboration between the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the American College of Cardiology, for TAVR procedures.
Specialists in structural heart and valve surgery
Heart and valve problems can lead to heart attack or progressive heart failure, so it’s important to talk to your doctor about early treatment options when you receive your diagnosis. For some heart valve conditions, surgery may be recommended. And whenever possible, minimally invasive techniques will be used. Minimally invasive procedures may help shorten your recovery time and lower your risk of complications.
Minimally invasive heart valve repair and replacement
For those considered high risk for open-heart surgery due to age, previous heart surgery, stroke or other chronic conditions, a minimally invasive procedure may be an option. Ascension Saint Thomas Heart is a national leader in minimally invasive approaches to treat different heart valve problems. Minimally invasive treatment options include:
- Alcohol septal ablation: To treat a thickened heart muscle (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), your doctor places a thin tube into your artery and injects a small amount of alcohol into the affected area to help thin out the muscle.
- Aortic and mitral balloon valvuloplasty: A tiny balloon is inflated in the aortic and mitral valve to help improve blood flow. This treatment only provides temporary relief and other procedures may be necessary.
- MitraClip™: With the MitraClip procedure, your doctor inserts a thin tube into your leg and moves the tube up through your heart. Then, a small clip is attached to your mitral valve to help it close. MitraClip helps to restore normal blood flow inside and outside of your heart.
- TriClip: With the TriClip procedure, the doctor places the TriClip on 2 or more of your tricuspid valve leaflets. The TriClip decreases the tricuspid regurgitation while allowing blood to flow on each side of the clip. Patients will have one or more clips inserted depending on how much repair is needed for the tricuspid valve.
- Paravalvular leak closure:A catheter is inserted into your leg and guided toward your heart where a closure device is placed around the leak.
- PFO and ASD/VSD closure: To help repair a flap or hole in the heart, your doctor inserts a small closure device into your heart to seal the opening.
- Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR):During the TAVR procedure, your old heart valve is replaced, so oxygen-rich blood can flow in the right direction — through your heart and body.
- Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement:The doctor compresses the EVOQUE valve, attaching it securely to the end of the delivery catheter. The catheter, with the valve in place, is gently inserted through the femoral vein in the groin. It is then guided through the blood vessels until it reaches the tricuspid valve. The doctor releases the valve, allowing it to expand and anchor itself within the diseased valve. Once positioned, the new valve begins to function like the original, opening and closing like a door to ensure blood flows properly through the heart. Finally, the catheter is carefully removed from the body.
Specialists in robotic heart surgery
Heart surgeons at Ascension Saint Thomas specialize in robotic surgery to treat heart valve disorders, atrial fibrillation(AFib), coronary artery disease (CAD) and congenital heart conditions. Robotic surgery is minimally invasive and does not require large incisions to the breastbone or rib cage. Your surgeon uses a small camera and robotic arms to make tiny incisions between your ribs to reach your heart. This may help lower your risk of infection, reduce scarring and help shorten your hospital stay. Ascension Saint Thomas Heart is a national leader in performing robotic procedures. Our heart surgery care team, that performs robotic procedures, includes:
Refer your patient to a heart surgeon
Your patients can expect compassionate, personalized care from the moment our specialists connect with them. Our heart surgeons start by listening to fully understand your patient’s needs and to develop an individualized care plan. For more information, please call our referral line at 615-222-3944.
Get a second opinion from a heart valve specialist
Get the confidence and peace of mind that your doctor and cardiovascular care plan are right for you. It's easy to get a second opinion at Ascension Saint Thomas Heart. We can review your medical records and healthcare history to answer your questions and discuss options. Talk with one of our doctors about a personalized heart care plan.
When you are facing a new diagnosis or are deciding on a surgical or therapeutic treatment plan, there’s a lot to think about. If you are looking for a second opinion for advanced heart care, our cardiologists can also connect you with the right specialists for minimally invasive surgery, including TAVR, MitraClip, WATCHMAN™, and ablation. Our heart and vascular specialists can provide a second opinion, based on our experience and as part of a national care team.
Before your appointment, check with your insurance company to find out if a second opinion is covered. We can request your medical records on your behalf, so that they can be shared with your care team before your arrival.
GET A SECOND OPINION - 855-789-2593
Clinical trials and research
Ascension Saint Thomas Heart is committed to equitably advancing the health and wellness of the patients and communities we serve through discovery, continuous improvement, and care transformation. Learn more about how researchers at Ascension Saint Thomas are working together to advance patient care through clinical trials.
Heart care that focuses on the whole you
Your specialists and care team collaborate, working together for you and with you. Every appointment with your doctor starts with a conversation about any new symptoms, concerns or questions. At Ascension Saint Thomas Heart, your care team supports you before, during and after your heart valve procedure to help you return to the regular daily activities you love. Your doctor works with you to monitor your heart health over time, including connecting you with cardiac rehabilitation and helping manage your medications to make sure they are working well for you.