Assessment of Complex Multi-Valve Disease and Prosthetic Valves

Multivalvular heart disease (MVD) is a highly prevalent condition causing significant morbidity and mortality. The complex haemodynamic interactions between coexisting valve lesions makes the diagnosis and treatment challenging. Current guidelines may not be adequate for managing the varying clinical scenarios of MVD and, therefore, the expertise of a multidisciplinary Heart Valve Team is of paramount importance. The indications for intervention should be based on a global assessment of the consequences of the multiple valve lesions after a careful estimation of the added surgical risk of combined procedures, the long-term risk of morbidity and mortality associated with multiple valve prostheses and the risk of reoperation if less-than-severe valve lesions are left untreated at the time of first evaluation. Echocardiography plays an important role in assessing patients and, as a general rule, an accurate echo diagnosis needs to combine different measurements. The emerging transcatheter valve therapies should be considered an option for high risk patients. More data on the natural history of MVD and the impact of intervention on outcome are required to better define the optimal management strategy.