Structural Interventions

Structural Heart Interventions

UCLA Health provides expert structural heart care with a team of top specialists who work together to choose the safest treatment plan for each patient. This kind of care treats the valves and walls of the heart, and many of the procedures offered are minimally invasive, catheter-based treatments. As an alternative to major surgery, structural heart procedures may result in shorter hospital stays and quicker recoveries.

Conditions We Treat and How They’re Repaired

Aortic valve stenosis and regurgitation

These conditions happen when the aortic valve becomes stiff, narrow or leaky, making it harder for blood to flow forward from the heart. This occurs because of a congenital bicuspid valve, calcifications or infection. Patients are evaluated for a surgical or a catheter-based treatment option.

Mitral valve regurgitation

This happens when the mitral valve does not close all the way, causing blood to leak backward instead of moving forward.

Doctors often treat this with the Mitral TEER procedure (transcatheter edge-to-edge repair). A small clip is delivered to the valve through a catheter in the groin. The clip helps the valve close more tightly, which reduces the backflow.

For some patients, surgical mitral valve replacement may be recommended if it offers better long-term results.

Left atrial appendage (LAA) clots

LAA clots typically form in patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib) and can increase the risk of stroke.

UCLA Health treats this risk with left atrial appendage closure, a catheter procedure that seals off the area where clots commonly form. This can reduce stroke risk and may help some patients avoid long-term blood thinners.

Tricuspid valve disorders

Tricuspid regurgitation happens when the tricuspid valve does not close all the way, letting blood leak backward. Many patients who are not good candidates for open surgery can be treated with catheter-based procedures. Tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER), a minimally invasive clip-based procedure delivered through a small puncture in the groin. The clip brings the valve leaflets closer together to reduce the leak and help the heart pump better. Transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement using the EVOQUE valve is also an option for some patients with tricuspid regurgitation.

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) with stroke risk

A PFO is a small opening between the heart’s upper chambers that some people are born with. In certain patients, it can raise stroke risk.

PFO closure is performed through a catheter in the groin using a small implant that closes the opening and prevents blood from flowing the wrong way.

Atrial septal defect (ASD)

An ASD is a hole between the heart’s upper chambers that can affect healthy blood flow.

Doctors repair ASD with catheter-based ASD closure, placing a small implant through a vein in the groin to seal the hole without open surgery.

Ventricular septal defect (VSD)

A VSD is a hole between the heart’s lower chambers that can cause extra strain on the heart.

UCLA Health repairs VSD with VSD closure through a catheter using a small implant delivered through the groin.

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM)

This condition causes the heart muscle to thicken, which can block blood flow.

Alcohol septal ablation is a minimally invasive catheter treatment that gently reduces the thickened muscle to improve blood flow and symptoms.

Why Choose UCLA Health for Structural Heart Care

UCLA Health remains at the forefront of the latest structural heart innovations, helping to improve new devices, refine procedures and expand minimally invasive options to more patients each year. Many UCLA Health cardiologists and surgeons help design and improve these techniques, while working together to review each patient’s case and choose the safest, most effective plan.

Patients are referred to UCLA Health for structural heart care because the program delivers both trusted expertise and leading-edge progress. Patients benefit from:

A program focused on better recovery, better safety and better quality of life
A team of interventional cardiologists, heart imaging specialists and surgeons working together
Access to new procedures, clinical trials and device advancements
Alcohol septal ablation for HOCM to improve blood flow
Catheter-based closures for PFO, ASD and VSD when needed
Minimally invasive solutions for aortic, mitral and tricuspid valve disease including paravalvular and paravalvular leak repair
Nationally recognized outcomes for TAVR including American Heart Association (AHA) Target AS Honor Roll in 2024 and 2025