CaRi-heart technology
Revolutionary new technology to assess the risk of a serious heart condition or heart attack – many years before anything happens.
Heart valve care
Expert heart care when you need it
- No.1 in the UK for private cardiac care
- Appointments confirmed within 24 hours
- 99% of our cardiac patients would recommend us to friends and family
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HEART VALVE CARE AT HCA UK
Why choose us?
If heart symptoms are affecting your quality of life, we can help. At HCA UK, we’re the UK’s leading private cardiac care provider and treat more than 36,000 patients each year.
We offer fast access to our heart specialists, whose unrivalled experience is backed by the state-of-the-art diagnostics to accurately diagnose your symptoms and condition, and recommend the most effective course of treatment, tailored to you.
Our network of modern facilities includes five cardiac centres and six cardiac theatres, where we carry out the latest minimally invasive procedures and conventional open-heart surgery. With a 99% surgery success rate, you can be confident you’re in safe hands.
We offer fast access to our heart specialists, whose unrivalled experience is backed by the state-of-the-art diagnostics to accurately diagnose your symptoms and condition, and recommend the most effective course of treatment, tailored to you.
Our network of modern facilities includes five cardiac centres and six cardiac theatres, where we carry out the latest minimally invasive procedures and conventional open-heart surgery. With a 99% surgery success rate, you can be confident you’re in safe hands.
36,000+ cardiac patients treated every year
99% success rate across all cardiac surgery
250+ cardiology consultants across our hospitals
Next-day appointments
See a specialist and get on the path to an expert diagnosis in as little as 24 hours.
State-of-the-art diagnostics
With results in as little as 48 hours.
Wide-reaching expertise across the UK
Choose from 5 hospitals and 15 diagnostic centres in London, Manchester and Birmingham.
Imaging services
How we diagnose your heart valve condition
Cardiac CT scan
A specialist cardiac scan offering a non-invasive way to evaluate the heart arteries and structure of the heart.
Cardiac MRI scan
We offer private cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, which create detailed pictures of your heart and major blood vessels, helping us diagnose and treat heart problems.
Echocardiogram
An echocardiogram is a simple, safe heart scan that uses sound waves to create moving images of your heart. It helps your doctor check how well your heart is working and detect any issues early.
Ultrasound scan
An ultrasound scan is a common scan that uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of organs, tissue or blood flow inside the body.
Doppler scan
A Doppler scan is a simple diagnostic imaging test that measures blood flow through your arteries and veins. Our leading cardiologists use Doppler tests to help diagnose a range of heart and blood conditions.
Our services
Specialist treatments for your heart valve condition
Medication
Your consultant might prescribe medicine to lower your blood pressure, slow your heart rate, stop clots forming or reduce the volume of blood your heart has to pump.
MitraClip®
A minimally invasive treatment for mitral valve leak. The repair of a mitral valve to reduce regurgitation using a highly manoeuvrable trans-catheter technique.
TAVI
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) is a minimally invasive procedure that’s used as an alternative to open-heart surgery for patients who have aortic stenosis. It involves replacing the aortic valve in the heart.
Mitral valve surgery
SURGERY FOR LEAKING OR NARROWED (STENOSED) MITRAL VALVE
Surgery to repair or replace a diseased mitral valve
Aortic valve surgery
A surgical procedure to correct aortic valve problems by either repairing a damaged valve or replacing it to restore heart function.
Heart valve surgery
A surgical procedure to correct heart valve problems by either repairing a damaged valve or replacing it with a new valve.
Heart bypass surgery (CABG)
Heart bypass surgery is a treatment for coronary heart disease. The coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedure helps to restore blood flow to the heart where arteries have become blocked, a condition which can result in pain in the chest or more serious cardiovascular complications.
Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB)
MIDCAB is a surgical procedure conducted on patients who need a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), sometimes offered as an alternative to open heart surgery.
Personalised external aortic root support (PEARS)
A surgical procedure to repair an aorta root affected by Marfan Syndrome
Accessing private health care
Self-pay
You don’t need health insurance to be seen quickly. If you’re looking for a diagnosis or treatment and don’t want to wait, all our private healthcare services – from private GP appointments through to surgery and aftercare – can be paid for as and when you need them.
And to give you peace of mind from the start, we’ll offer you a clear and transparent quote outlining exactly what’s included in your self-pay package.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Your time with us
From the moment you step through the door, until you’re ready to leave, we want you to feel as comfortable and reassured as possible.
One of the ways we can put you at ease is to let you know what to expect at each stage of your consultation and diagnosis for your heart valve condition.
If you have any questions that aren’t answered here or in the FAQ section below, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our team will be happy to help in any way they can.
One of the ways we can put you at ease is to let you know what to expect at each stage of your consultation and diagnosis for your heart valve condition.
If you have any questions that aren’t answered here or in the FAQ section below, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our team will be happy to help in any way they can.
01
Initial consultation
Whether you’ve self-referred or have a referral from your GP, the first step is always an initial consultation with one of our cardiologists.
At this appointment, your consultant will ask about your medical history and arrange any necessary tests and scans.
At this appointment, your consultant will ask about your medical history and arrange any necessary tests and scans.
02
Tests and scans
At HCA UK, you’ll have access to the UK’s most comprehensive private diagnostics network. All our tests and scans are carried out in our facilities by our expert teams.
Your consultant may request a blood test and refer you to have a cardiac CT scan, an MRI scan, echocardiogram, ultrasound scan or a Doppler ultrasound scan. The scan will let your consultant view your heart in more detail.
Your consultant may request a blood test and refer you to have a cardiac CT scan, an MRI scan, echocardiogram, ultrasound scan or a Doppler ultrasound scan. The scan will let your consultant view your heart in more detail.
03
Follow-up appointment
You’ll meet with your consultant, who’ll discuss your test and scan results with you and share their diagnosis. They’ll decide whether medicine, minimally invasive surgery or conventional surgery is the best treatment option for you, depending on your condition and symptoms. If you have any concerns or questions, your consultant will be happy to discuss them.
04
Treatment
If you need surgery, our team will book you in for your procedure and give you information on how to prepare. Depending on the type of surgery you need, you may be able to go home on the day of your procedure or a short hospital stay may be required. We’ll take care of you for as long as your recovery requires.
05
Follow-up and ongoing care
Our multidisciplinary teams are on hand to support you throughout your recovery, with follow-up advice and care available after your treatment.
Locations
The Harley Street Clinic
35 Weymouth Street W1G 8BJ London
The Lister Hospital
Chelsea Bridge Road SW1W 8RH London
London Bridge Hospital
27 Tooley Street SE1 2PR London
The Wellington Hospital
Wellington Place St John's Wood NW8 9LE London
The Harborne Hospital
Mindelsohn Way B15 2TQ Birmingham
The Wilmslow Hospital
52-54 Alderley Road Wilmslow SK9 1NY Cheshire
Heart valve care FAQs
Heart valves control the flow of blood through your heart and around your body, ensuring it moves at the right time and in the correct direction. There are four valves in your heart: the tricuspid, mitral, pulmonary and aortic. The valves act like doors, opening to let the blood move forward and then closing to prevent the blood flowing backwards.
The mitral valve and tricuspid valve control blood flow from the top chambers of your heart to the lower chambers. The aortic valve and pulmonary valve control blood flow out of your heart. It’s the opening and closing of valves that you can hear when you listen to your heartbeat.
The mitral valve and tricuspid valve control blood flow from the top chambers of your heart to the lower chambers. The aortic valve and pulmonary valve control blood flow out of your heart. It’s the opening and closing of valves that you can hear when you listen to your heartbeat.
There are lots of reasons why you might have a heart valve condition. It can be caused by:
- Ageing
- Congenital heart disease (meaning you were born with it)
- An infection, such as endocarditis or rheumatic fever
- Other heart conditions, such as cardiomyopathy
- Damage from a heart attack
Heart valve disease is when one or more of your heart valves don’t work like they should. If a valve can’t open properly, it can restrict blood flow. This narrowing of a valve is called stenosis. If a valve can’t close properly, blood can leak back in the wrong direction. This is known as known as regurgitation or a leaky valve.
Both problems – a narrowed valve or a leaky valve – put extra pressure on your heart to pump harder, or to pump more blood.
Both problems – a narrowed valve or a leaky valve – put extra pressure on your heart to pump harder, or to pump more blood.
Symptoms of a heart valve condition can vary from person to person. You may have no symptoms, or you may have one or more. Symptoms can include:
- Shortness of breath
- Heart palpitations (when your heart suddenly starts beating irregularly or faster than usual)
- Feeling more tired than usual
- Dizziness
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Swollen ankles and feet
To reduce your risk and protect your heart, you should eat a healthy, balanced diet and exercise regularly. It’s important to maintain a healthy weight and to drink alcohol in moderation.
Smoking damages the heart by increasing heart rate and blood pressure, so it’s best to quit smoking. You should also have regular dental check-ups, as gum disease is linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
It’s also important to manage other health conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, by taking your prescribed medication and seeing your doctor if any of your symptoms change or you feel your medicine is no longer working.
Smoking damages the heart by increasing heart rate and blood pressure, so it’s best to quit smoking. You should also have regular dental check-ups, as gum disease is linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
It’s also important to manage other health conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, by taking your prescribed medication and seeing your doctor if any of your symptoms change or you feel your medicine is no longer working.
No, not necessarily. Our consultants often start by managing your symptoms with medication. At HCA UK, we offer a wide range of minimally invasive heart valve procedures, such as a TAVI , which result in a quicker recovery time and a shorter stay in hospital compared to open-heart surgery.
Your consultant will always recommend the best treatment for you and your condition.
All procedures carry a risk and potential complications and the risk increases with certain factors, such as your age and the type of surgery you need. Our expert cardiologists will be there to offer you guidance and discuss the potential risks with you ahead of your procedure.
At HCA UK, we treat more than 36,000 cardiac patients each year. We performed more than 11,500 heart surgeries in the last three years (from Jan 2022 to Dec 2024), with a success rate of over 99%. We also completed 728 transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedures during the same period.
We have a 100% success rate for the following procedures:
At HCA UK, we treat more than 36,000 cardiac patients each year. We performed more than 11,500 heart surgeries in the last three years (from Jan 2022 to Dec 2024), with a success rate of over 99%. We also completed 728 transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedures during the same period.
We have a 100% success rate for the following procedures:
- Aortic valve repair
- Mitral valve repair
- Aortic surgery
- Personalised external aortic root support (PEARS)
Our patients’ stories
How a valve replacement helped Steve breathe easy again
When Steve found out his breathlessness was caused by a narrowed aortic valve, he was terrified of the thought of the open-heart surgery that might be needed to treat it. But with the expertise of Professor Sagar Doshi at The Harborne Hospital, he learned he could have a ‘keyhole’ alternative called TAVI.
Designing a new heart
Using his experience in 3D printing for his architecture clients, David built a life-size model of his own heart and ribcage to help visualise and plan his endoscopic heart surgery with Mr Toufan Bahrami.
Just two months after undergoing heart surgery at The Harley Street Clinic, David, who is in his 70s, is looking forward to his forthcoming trip to Copenhagen, Stockholm and Gothenburg with his wife.
“Mr Young is a highly experienced and accomplished surgeon, in whom I had complete confidence. At my first consultation, he clearly explained the options available to me and gave me his considered advice. The procedure went very well and my heart is working more efficiently. I have been energised by the whole experience.”
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