Heart Valve Problems

Coronary artery fistula

• The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart. A fistula is an abnormal connection of the coronary artery to a blood vessel or heart chamber. Most people are born with this problem (known as congenital). Some people develop a fistula after an infection, accident or surgery.

• Some fistulas go unnoticed and never require treatment. But some people experience heart murmurs, chest pain, heart palpitations and fatigue. For these people, the defect may increase the risk of heart attack, heart failure or arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat).

Heart chamber openings

Some people are born with an opening in the wall that separates the heart’s chambers. A small opening that does not cause problems may not require treatment.

There are different types of heart openings:

• Patent foramen ovale (PFO): Everyone is born with an opening, or PFO, between the heart’s top chambers (atria). In some patients, there may be an increased risk of stroke if a PFO does not naturally close after birth.

• Septal defects: A septal defect is a gap between the heart’s top chambers (atrial septal defect) or lower chambers (ventricular septal defect). This opening allows oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood to mix. As a result, the risk of heart failure and pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs’ arteries) goes up.

Heart valve disease

People with heart valve disease have one or more valves that do not open or close properly. Faulty valves strain your heart by forcing it to work harder to circulate blood. You may feel persistently tired and weak. Over time, you may develop heart failure.

The different types of heart valve disease include:

• Stenosis: A stiffened heart valve does not fully open. This problem may reduce blood flow to the heart or cause blood to leak out of it. People with stenosis have a higher risk of heart failure, arrhythmia and pulmonary hypertension.

• Regurgitation: A poorly closing heart valve allows blood to leak out of the valve. Sometimes blood flows back into the heart. People with valve regurgitation have a higher risk of heart failure, arrhythmia and heart infections.