Comprehensive Heart Valve Program
Discover world-class experience and patient-centered care for heart valve disease.
Most patients with heart valve problems are concerned about the prospect of heart surgery. The Comprehensive Heart Valve Program at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center offers several minimally invasive and transcatheter options for valve repair and replacement.
Our world-renowned specialists work with you to identify the safest and most effective treatment option. We provide expert care to protect your health and help you feel better as quickly as possible.
Our Approach
Our program is designated by Newsweek as the 18th best specialized hospital for cardiology and cardiac surgery in the world. We are leaders in:
- Experience: We have decades of experience repairing and replacing valves. Our surgeons perform a high volume of procedures each year, resulting in excellent patient outcomes.
- Innovation: Heart valve treatments are evolving rapidly. Our specialists are at the forefront of clinical trials that provide novel, less invasive therapies not available at other centers.
- Specialization: We have all types of cardiovascular specialists on our team, including interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and imaging experts that focus exclusively on heart valves.
- Multidisciplinary teams: You benefit from the collective expertise of cardiovascular surgeons, cardiologists, radiologists, anesthesiologists, nurse practitioners, nurse care coordinators and other staff. This team-based model enhances our ability to meet your needs.
- Individualized treatments: Our specialists work together to evaluate your condition. We then meet with you to discuss your treatment options and decide what’s right for you.
Patient-Centered Care
Within the Frankel Cardiovascular Center, we provide patient-centered care. We treat you how we’d treat our own family.
- Our care coordinators, nurse practitioners and physician assistants serve as your main points of contact. They are familiar faces that help guide you before, during and after your heart valve treatment.
- We encourage you to bring in a familiar person to provide support and ask questions. Having a companion helps you make decisions and reduces fear and anxiety.
- Our staff strives to always communicate clearly. We want you to understand your condition and treatment options so you can fully participate in your care.
- We invite our patients to serve as representatives on Frankel Cardiovascular Center committees. Patient representatives help us make decisions related to innovation, teaching and program development.
Appointment Information
Patients: To schedule an evaluation with a Frankel Cardiovascular Center physician, call 888-287-1082. Or visit our Make a Cardiovascular Appointment page to learn what to expect when you call us.
Physicians: To refer a patient, call M-Line at 800-962-3555, or visit our For Cardiovascular Health Professionals page for more detailed information.
Services
Conditions
Heart Valve Disease: Heart valve conditions include regurgitation (leaky valve) and stenosis (narrowed valve). There are four valves in the heart that keep blood flowing in the right direction.
The aortic valve is the gatekeeper between the main pumping chamber of the heart (left ventricle) and the aorta. It has three leaflets and is located within the aortic root, the junction between the heart and aorta.
The aortic valve opens when the left ventricle contracts, allowing blood to flow into the aorta and to the rest of the body. When the left ventricle rests, the valve closes, preventing blood from flowing backward.
The most common condition of the aortic valve is aortic stenosis. Find out more about aortic valve disease.
The mitral valve controls blood flow between the upper and lower chambers of the left side of the heart (the atrium and ventricle). It has two leaflets supported by strong fibers (chords) and muscles.
When the left ventricle contracts, the valve closes to prevent blood from flowing back into the left atrium. The most common condition of the mitral valve is regurgitation.
Approximately 90% of patients with mitral valve conditions are treated for a leaky valve. Learn more about mitral valve disease.
The tricuspid valve separates the right atrium and right ventricle and controls the flow of blood from the body to the heart. It has 3 leaflets, and like the mitral valve, it has chords and muscles that provide support when the right ventricle contracts.
Conditions of the tricuspid valve are often associated with other heart and valve problems. Read more about tricuspid valve disease.
The pulmonary valve regulates blood flow from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery, which carries blood to the lungs. Diseases of the pulmonary valve are relatively rare and most often present from birth.
Doctors at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center’s Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program provide expert treatment to adults with congenital conditions of the pulmonary heart valve.
Treatments
We offer a range of treatments for heart valve disease:
- Nonsurgical treatments involve medication and lifestyle modifications to relieve symptoms and prevent further valve damage.
- Transcatheter-based approaches use catheters (thin tubes) that the doctor inserts into a blood vessel and guides to the heart. Catheters can also be inserted through a small incision in the chest.
- Minimally invasive surgery allows the surgeon to reach the heart through an incision between the ribs.
- Open-heart surgery requires the surgeon to open the chest cavity to access the heart.
- Repeat heart valve procedures: Sometimes mechanical valves wear out and need to be replaced again. Some patients have had an unsuccessful valve procedure performed elsewhere. Our doctors are experienced in unique treatment approaches, often minimally invasive or transcatheter, for patients with previous valve repair or replacement.
Outcomes
The multidisciplinary team at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center is a national leader in the treatment of heart valve disease. Our extensive minimally invasive program was built upon our long-standing reputation for excellence in surgical valve procedures and includes the latest treatment options for all valve conditions.
We pride ourselves on our extensive expertise that leads to positive patient outcomes.
Unparalleled Mitral Valve Experience
The Frankel CVC was one of the first five medical centers in the country to be recognized for best practices in mitral valve repair with the Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award. We are among the largest and longest-standing mitral valve centers in the country and the largest in Michigan, with more than 30 years of experience, thousands of mitral valve surgeries performed and a highly skilled multi-disciplinary team. Visit our Mitral Valve Disease page to learn more about mitral valve disease patient care at U-M Health.
Expertise in Tricuspid Valve Procedures
Combined with minimally invasive and conventional tricuspid valve surgery, no other program has as many treatment options or as much expertise to treat tricuspid valve patients. To date, we have performed more surgical and percutaneous tricuspid valve procedures than any other site in the state. Visit our Tricuspid Valve Disease page to learn more about tricuspid valve disease patient care at U-M Health.
Access to the Latest Clinical Trials
Our participation in numerous clinical trials provides a wide variety of alternative options for patients who are not candidates for commercially approved transcatheter and/or surgical therapies.
Committed to Patient Care
The Frankel CVC’s multidisciplinary team has a single common goal to provide safe and efficient care for all patients. To this end, our ACTIVATE initiative has resulted in a reduction in post-operative length of stay, less frequent discharge to an extended care facility and lower 30-day readmissions, among other important benefits.
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
- Most of our TAVR patients are able to return home one day after their procedure.
- Fewer of our patients require a pacemaker following their TAVR procedure than the average number in the Statewide Michigan Collaborative
- Recognized for Best Practices in Mitral Valve Repair by the Mitral Foundation and American Heart Association in 2023.
- We are the largest mitral valve practice in Michigan for both transcatheter and surgical procedures.
See our TAVR page in the Comprehensive Aortic Program section of our website for more information about TAVR patient care.
Locations
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Cardiac Surgery Clinic | Frankel Cardiovascular Center 1425 E Ann St
Floor 3 Reception C
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5856Get Directions -
Cardiology Clinic | Frankel Cardiovascular Center 1425 E Ann St
Floor 3 Reception C
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5856Get Directions -
Multidisciplinary Valve Clinic | Cardiovascular Center 1425 E Ann St
Floor 3 Reception C
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5856Get Directions
Doctors
Gorav Ailawadi, MD, MBA
Professor
Thoracic Surgery, Surgery
Steven Fredric Bolling, MD
Professor
Thoracic Surgery, Surgery
Stanley Joseph Chetcuti, MD
Clinical Professor
Interventional Cardiology, Cardiovascular Disease, Internal Medicine
George Michael Deeb, MD
Professor
Thoracic Surgery, Surgery
Neal Murari Duggal, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Anesthesiology
Shinichi Fukuhara, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Thoracic Surgery, Surgery
Paul Michael Grossman, MD
Clinical Professor
Interventional Cardiology, Cardiovascular Disease, Internal Medicine
Sarah Kathrine Gualano, MD
Clinical Associate Professor
Cardiovascular Disease, Interventional Cardiology
Jonathan William Haft, MD
Professor
Thoracic Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, Surgery
Barbara Hamilton, MD, MS
Clinical Assistant Professor
Thoracic Surgery, Cardiac Surgery
Comprehensive Heart Valve Program Facts & Figures
By the Numbers (FY 2024 Data)
Quick Facts
- High-performance recognition by U.S. News & World Report for aortic valve surgery and transcatheter aortic valve replacement.
- Recognized with the Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award for best practices in mitral valve repair.
- The most novel technologies in Michigan for treatment of all valve diseases.
- Michigan's largest mitral valve practice - for transcatheter and surgical procedures.
- Three-star rated – the highest rating by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons – for aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
News & Stories
Treating a rare coronary artery aneurysm without open heart surgery
A heart attack 9 days after giving birth: Mother of 4 shares her SCAD experience
Failed TAVR? Heart surgeons explain TAVR explant, options and risks
2 heartbeats, 1 future: Why pregnancy is a critical window for women’s heart health
Delays in Heart Surgery for Women due to One-Size-Fits-All Criteria
