Structural Heart Disease and Groundbreaking Developments in How It’s Treated
February 17, 2025
Categories: Cardiovascular, Women's Health, Men's Health, Ask a Doc
Tags: heart disease, stroke, atrial fibrillation
While conditions like high blood pressure often dominate the national conversation, others like structural heart disease can go under the radar.
Noah Thormeier, DO, interventional cardiologist with Trinity Health Medical Group in Muskegon, shares some important things to know about the disease and new life-changing treatments.
Noah Thormeier, DO
Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology
Accepting New Patients
View Provider ProfileLet’s start out with the basics. What is structural heart disease?
Noah Thormeier, DO: Structural heart disease refers to abnormalities in the heart's valves, walls, or chambers that impact blood flow. Unlike other heart conditions, such as coronary artery disease, which focuses on blood vessel blockages, structural heart disease involves physical defects or malfunctions in the heart's internal structure.
There has been a lot of exciting developments in how structural heart disease is treated. What are some of those innovative procedures offered through your program?
Noah Thormeier, DO: Our Structural Heart Disease program offers advanced procedures like TAVR, a minimally invasive procedure to replace a damaged aortic valve, MitraClip™, which helps repair a leaky mitral valve, and WATCHMAN, a device that reduces the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.
How are these procedures improving patient outcomes?
Noah Thormeier, DO: These procedures provide patients with access to heart-saving treatments that were previously unavailable. In addition, the procedures typically offer quicker recovery times, fewer complications, and often avoid the need for open-heart surgery.
Who is a good candidate for these procedures?
Noah Thormeier, DO: Candidates for these procedures are typically patients with severe heart valve conditions who may not be suitable for traditional open-heart surgery. Patients should schedule a consultation with a cardiologist who can assess their symptoms, medical history, and overall health. They can start that conversation with their primary care provider.
What can people do to prevent structural heart conditions or catch them early?
Noah Thormeier, DO: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise, a balanced diet, and routine screenings can help prevent heart disease. Early detection through regular check-ups, particularly if you have a family history or risk factors, is key to catching structural heart issues before they become severe.
Discover how Trinity Health’s Structural Heart Disease program can support your heart health journey.