Structural Heart
We are a highly specialised program that offers transcatheter interventions for valvular heart disease and non-coronary cardiac defects, including congenital abnormalities.
Clinical service overview
The Alfred Structural Heart Program consists of a team of specialised doctors, nurses, cardiac technologists and radiographers.
The program commenced in 1995, when the team were pioneers in Australia, being the first to provide Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) in Victoria in 2008. TAVIs are provided to high risk patients with severe aortic stenosis. This program continues to be one of the largest in Australia.
The program is led by one of Australia’s most experienced structural heart specialists, A/Prof Antony Walton, along with Dr Dion Stub and Dr Nay Min Htun.
The program offers assessment and treatment of patients with a wide range of structural heart conditions including valvular heart diseases and non-coronary cardiac defects, and congenital abnormalities. We also offer an extensive range of transcatheter interventional procedures and are involved in international clinical trials for new and novel treatment devices. Patients undergo a comprehensive assessment and imaging including transthoracic echo, cardiac CT imaging and coronary angiogram.
We aim to continue being leaders and innovators in structural heart treatments and are committed to improving patients’ lives and providing the latest and highest quality of care to all our patients with structural heart conditions.
We also aim to continue being leaders and innovators in structural heart treatments through excellence in research. The Structural Heart program has consistently made a significant academic contribution with international medical publications, conferences presentations and involvement in international clinical trials.
Conditions, tests and treatments
Conditions assessed
- Valve stenosis and regurgitation
- Bioprosthetic valve failure
- Septal defects and congenital abnormalities
- Hypertension
Investigations available
- Transthoracic Echocardiogram (TTE)
- Transoesophageal Echocardiogram (TOE)
- Dobutamine Stress Echocardiogram (DSE)
- Coronary angiogram
- Peripheral angiogram
- Cardiac CT scan
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Blood tests
Treatment procedures available
- Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI)
- Atrial septal defect (ASD) / patent foramen ovale (PFO), Ventricular septal defect closures (VSD)
- Balloon aortic and mitral valvuloplasty
- Transcatheter Mitral Valve implants (TMVR)
- Transcatheter Mitral valve MitraClip procedures
- Transcatheter pulmonary valve implants
- Left atrial appendage device implant (LAA)
- Bioprosthetic valve paravalvular leak closures
- Renal denervation for hypertension
- New and novel devices and cardiac technologies in international clinical research trials such as coronary sinus mitral contour system and inter-atrial shunt devices
Refer your patient
Fax referral to us
We accept GP and specialist referrals to this service.
All referrals are triaged by the service according to clinical urgency. Patients requiring immediate assessment should be sent to the Emergency & Trauma Centre.
To refer your patient, complete and fax a referral to us. For urgent referrals, also contact the service Registrar to discuss the case.
To ensure appropriate and timely triage, include all demographic and clinical details as well as relevant investigation results.
If you are concerned about any delay of the appointment or if there is any deterioration in your patient’s condition, contact the service Registrar on call on (03) 9076 2000.
- Referral enquiries (03) 9076 3263
- (03) 9076 6525
- Referral fax (03) 9076 2461
- Referral enquiries email h.centre@alfred.org.au
- Structural Heart Coordinator phone (03) 9076 7362
- Structural Heart Coordinator email structuralheartnurse@alfred.org .au
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Referral to Heart Centre 199 KB
For clinical assessment and cardiovascular investigations
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Cardiology referral guidelines 719 KB
Special referral instructions
Support and coordination of comprehensive imaging including transthoracic echo, cardiac CT imaging and coronary angiogram is facilitated by a dedicated Structural Heart Nurse Coordinator.
Our clinics
| Clinic name | Campus | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Structural Heart Clinic | The Alfred | 55 Commercial Rd, Melbourne VIC 3004 |
MBS-billed service
On the doctor’s behalf, Alfred Health can bulk bill the cost of the consultation for some services through Medicare. This means there is no out of pocket expense to the patient.
MBS-billed services require a current referral. Provide your patient with a 12 month referral to see the specialist of your choice at the requested clinic.
Referrals must be addressed to a named specialist or the Head of service, listed at the top of this page. Clinic consultants are listed on every clinic page.
Note that from time to time, your patient may be seen by another specialist in the clinic, in order to expedite their treatment.