Structural Heart

What we do

The Alfred Structural Heart Program is 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.

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.

Who we care for

We assess and treat people with a wide range of problems associated with their heart valves and with the chambers of their heart.

Some of the conditions we treat are:

• when the heart valves have become tight (a stenosis)
• when the heart valves are leaky (regurgitation)
• when there is a problem between two of the chambers of the heart such as a patent foramen ovale (PFO, or 'hole in the heart')

The procedures are completed as a minimally invasive procedure instead of open heart surgery.

What to expect

Minimally invasive treatment procedures are performed through a catheter (a small long hollow plastic tube) inserted into the blood vessel in the leg or chest (instead of having open heart surgery). These include proceudres such as a Transcather Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) and percutaneous mitral valve repair.

We see people at all stages of the journey from assessment through to treatment and any ongoing management. Support and coordination of assessments is facilitated by a dedicated Structural Heart Nurse Coordinator, closely linked with our clinical research team.

How to access this service

Referral from your GP

You need a referral letter from your GP or medical practitioner to access this service.

Your doctor will need to fax your referral letter to us. We will be in contact with you in clinically recommended times, depending on waiting list length. If there is no waiting list, you will receive an appointment booking letter or we will contact you to arrange a suitable time.

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