Heart valves are like doors, so valves can fail because they don’t open or close properly. When valves don’t open well, it’s called stenosis. When they don’t close well, it’s called regurgitation. This can cause shortness of breath, passing out, chest pressure, leg swelling and other symptoms. Without timely therapy for stenosis or regurgitation, patients are at risk of major complications, including death. Doctors at Swedish are using a procedure called TAVR to replace a heart valve without open-heart surgery for patients due to age, frailty or other medical conditions. “We actually are able to go in and put a valve inside the existing heart valve that’s tight, using that as an anchor without any open-heart surgery, without people often having to spend the night in the hospital and being able to really maximize their time at home and with their loved ones,” said Dr. Sameer Gafoor, medical director, structural heart disease at Swedish. Another procedure used in place of open-heart surgery at Swedish is Mitraclip, a way to repair the mitral valve. A small clip is placed to bring the leaky parts of the heart valve together. Many patients go home the same day and go on to lead healthy lives. “People are often feeling amazing,” Dr. Gafoor said. “We had a patient who was able to go back and start playing golf.” Dr. Gafoor says Swedish’s multi-disciplinary approach sets its heart care team apart from other hospitals, and the team collaborates to provide patients with personalized treatment options. “We’ve got great cardiologists, surgeons and anesthesiologists working together,” he said. The Swedish Structural Heart and Valve Program has performed the most Mitraclip in the United States in 2023, and it has pioneered many new therapies. Swedish offers new research options for patients with aortic, mitral and tricuspid valve disease. Visit the Swedish website to learn more about the Swedish Structural Heart and Valve Program. Sponsored by Providence Swedish. Segment Producer Rebecca Perry. Watch New Day Northwest 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.