Medicines cannot cure heart valve disease. But lifestyle changes and medicines can often treat symptoms and slow the disease from getting worse.
Over time, a person may need a procedure or surgery to repair or replace a damaged heart valve.
Medications
Along with heart-healthy lifestyle changes (such as improving your diet and getting more exercise), a provider may prescribe medicines to:
- Lower high blood pressure and make it easier for the heart to pump blood
- Thin the blood to prevent clots (in certain conditions, such as irregular heart rhythm or after valve replacement)
- Treat coronary heart disease by reducing the heart’s workload and relieving symptoms
- Treat heart failure by reducing fluid buildup and swelling
- Control cholesterol levels
A person with heart valve problems needs regular check-ups and echocardiograms to track whether the valve is getting worse.
Heart Valve Surgery
A provider may recommend repairing or replacing a damaged valve, even if there are no symptoms. The decision depends on:
- How serious the heart valve disease is
- Whether a person also needs heart surgery for another reason. For example, bypass surgery and valve surgery can be done at the same time.
- A person’s overall health, age, and level of activity and independence.
The cardiologist might recommend repairing the valve instead of replacing it, based on how damaged the valve is and other factors.
Heart Valve Repair
Heart surgeons can repair valves in several ways. These include:
- Patching holes or tears
- Removing or reshaping the valve
- Separating valve flaps so the valve can open and close properly
Some valves can be repaired with a less serious procedure. For example, if a valve can’t open all the way, a specialist may guide a thin tube (catheter) with a small balloon at the tip through a blood vessel to the narrowed valve. The balloon is then inflated to widen the valve opening.
This procedure is called balloon valvuloplasty. It may not cure the valve disease, but it can help with symptoms. In about three out of four people, the valve narrows again within a year. This procedure may also help a person build up strength before a bigger surgery.
Heart Valve Replacement
If a valve cannot be repaired, it must be replaced. There are two types of replacement valves:
- Mechanical valves are made of durable man-made materials. They last longer than biological valves, but people must take blood thinners. Blood thinners help prevent clots from forming around the new valve. Clots can cause a stroke or heart attack.
- Biological valves are made from human, pig, or cow heart tissue. They may have some man-made parts. Biological valves do not require blood thinners, but they usually need to be replaced after 10–15 years.
Until recently, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) was the only effective treatment for severe aortic stenosis. This is major surgery that requires opening the chest and is not right for everyone.
A less invasive option is transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). This procedure uses a catheter inserted into an artery that leads to the heart — without opening the chest. The catheter is used to replace the damaged valve.
Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair
Until 2018, people with severe mitral valve regurgitation had no safe procedures available. They had to be treated with medicine only.
Now there is transcatheter mitral valve repair using the MitraClip™ device. A catheter is used to place a small clip called the MitraClip™ inside the valve. The clip helps the valve close more fully and restores normal blood flow. It is inserted through an artery using a catheter.
Other Approaches for Repairing and Replacing Heart Valves
New methods for repairing or replacing heart valves can help some people. These methods use smaller cuts, tend to cause less pain, and have a lower risk of infection. They also usually mean shorter hospital stays and faster recovery compared to traditional surgery.
Last Updated May 2026