Valvular Heart Disease Center
The Valvular Heart Disease Center at AMC Heart Institute specializes in the precise diagnosis and advanced treatment of heart valve disorders. As the population ages, the prevalence of valvular heart disease continues to rise, making early detection and appropriate treatment essential for improving patient outcomes and quality of life. Leveraging cutting-edge imaging technology and extensive clinical expertise, the center provides personalized treatment strategies tailored to each patient.
Multidisciplinary Care
Our team conducts regular multidisciplinary meetings involving experts from Cardiology, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Radiology, and Anesthesiology to discuss and determine the most appropriate treatment plan for each patient, ensuring optimal outcomes.
Conditions We Treat
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- Aortic Valve Disease
- A functional abnormality of the heart’ aortic valve, most commonly presenting as aortic stenosis or aortic regurgitation. The aortic valve plays a critical role in preventing the backflow of blood as it exits the heart into the aorta. Dysfunction of this valve can lead to heart failure and impaired circulation.
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- Mitral Valve Disease
- A functional abnormality of the mitral valve, located between the left atrium and left ventricle of the heart. It is primarily classified as either mitral stenosis and regurgitation. The mitral valve regulates one-way blood flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle.
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- Tricuspid Valve Disease
- A condition in which abnormalities of the tricuspid valve, located on the right side of the heart, cause abnormal blood flow. The tricuspid valve is located between the right atrium and right ventricle, and it regulates the one-way flow of blood from the right atrium to the right ventricle.
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- Pulmonary Valve Disease
- A condition in which abnormalities of the pulmonary valve, located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery, disrupt normal blood flow. The pulmonary valve regulates the one-way flow of blood from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery.
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- Congenital Heart Disease
- A structural abnormality of the heart present at birth. In adults, common forms include atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, and patent foramen ovale. These conditions can disrupt normal blood circulation and cause symptoms such as shortness of breath.
Scope of Our Medical Services
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- Medical Therapy
- Medication therapy using agents such as antihypertensives, anticoagulants, and diuretics is aimed at relieving symptoms, preventing complications, and slowing disease progression. It is an important management approach, especially for patients who do not require immediate surgery or are preparing for a procedure. The optimal timing for procedures or surgery is determined through a thorough assessment of the patient's condition and any comorbidities.
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- Interventional Procedures
- * TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement)
A minimally invasive option for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at high surgical risk or are not suitable candidates for open-heart surgery. A specialized catheter is inserted through the femoral artery or thoracic aorta to implant a prosthetic valve at the damaged valve site. - * TEER (Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair)
This procedure treats mitral regurgitation by using a clip to grasp and approximate the two leaflets of the mitral valve, reducing the backflow of blood. PMV (Percutaneous Mitral Valvuloplasty): This procedure is performed for patients with mitral stenosis. Instead of open-heart surgery, it uses a catheter and balloon dilator to widen the narrowed mitral valve and improve blood flow. - * Device Closure
A treatment that uses occluder devices to seal septal defects, preventing abnormal left-to-right shunting of blood and helping to restore normal cardiac function.
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- Surgical Treatments
- * Valve Repair
A surgical treatment aimed at restoring damaged or impaired heart valves to improve their function. Rather than replacing the valve entirely, the procedure focuses on correcting structural issues while preserving as much of the patient’s native valve tissue as possible. Valve Replacement: A surgical procedure that replaces a damaged or non-functioning heart valve with a prosthetic valve. It is performed when valve repair is not feasible or when the valve is severely damaged. - * Minimally Invasive Valve Surgery
A heart valve surgery technique that minimizes the incision size compared to traditional open-chest procedures, helping to reduce pain and shorten recovery time for patients. The procedure is performed through a small incision, using either a minimal sternotomy or a lateral thoracic approach, instead of conventional open-chest surgery. This advanced surgical technique has become possible with the development of endoscopic equipment and the widespread use of cardiopulmonary bypass through peripheral vessels.
2023 Clinical Volume
- TAVR: 370 cases
- TEER: 24 cases
- PMV: 37 cases
- Device Closure: 234 cases
- Valve Surgery: 981 cases
Clinical Achievements
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- First PMV Performed in Korea (1989)
- The introduction of percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV) established a new era of non-surgical treatment. Performed without general anesthesia or open-chest surgery, this procedure offers treatment options for elderly and high-risk patients and is widely recognized for its advantages, including faster recovery, lower infection risk, and shorter hospital stays.
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- First TAVR in Korea (2010)
- Performed successfully through multidisciplinary collaboration, demonstrating the safety and efficacy of this non-surgical treatment for high-risk aortic stenosis patients.
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- First Sutureless AVR in Korea (2015)
- A milestone in the evolution of minimally invasive cardiac surgery, enabling faster recovery with less trauma. It has played a leading role in the introduction and dissemination of the latest heart valve surgical techniques.
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- First Clip-Based TEER Procedure in Korea (2020)
- The successful application of the clip-based mitral repair technique represented a breakthrough, offering a safe and effective treatment for high-risk patients and marking a significant advance in interventional cardiology in Korea.
Doctors
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Kang, Duk-hyun - Departments
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Cardiology, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Cardiac Imaging Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center
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Ischemic heart disease, Valvular heart disease, Coronary artery disease
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Kang, Do-yoon - Departments
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Cardiology, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Kang, Pil-je - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Intensive Care Unit, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
- Specialty
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KIM GA YUN - Departments
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Cardiology, Aortic Disease Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Cardiac Imaging Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center
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Kim, Dae-hee - Departments
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Cardiology, Pulmonary Hypertension & Venous Thrombosis Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Marfan Clinic, Aortic Disease Center, Cardiac Imaging Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center
- Specialty
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Artery Disease, Dyspnea, Valvular heart disease, Coronary artery disease
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Kim, Ho-jin - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Robotic Surgery center, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
- Specialty
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Valve repair surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, pulmonary endarterectomy, high-risk coronary surgery, off-pump CABG, non-transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement, heart transplantation
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HONGRAE KIM - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Marfan Clinic, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
- Specialty
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Park, Duk-woo - Departments
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Cardiology, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Coronary artery disease, Angina, Cardiac Infartion
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Park, Seung-jung - Departments
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Cardiology, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
- Specialty
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Coronary artery disease, Angina, Cardiac Infartion, Valvular heart disease
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Sun Byung Joo - Departments
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Cardiology, Aortic Disease Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Cardiac Imaging Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center
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Song, Jae-kwan - Departments
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Cardiology, Stroke Center, Congenital Heart Disease Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Marfan Clinic, Aortic Disease Center, Cardiac Imaging Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center
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Cardiomyopathy, Valvular heart disease, Artery Disease
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Song, Jong-Min - Departments
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Cardiology, Pulmonary Hypertension & Venous Thrombosis Center, Congenital Heart Disease Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Marfan Clinic, Aortic Disease Center, Cardiac Imaging Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center
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Valvular heart disease, Artery Disease, Congenital heart disease, Hypertension
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Sim, Ji-yeon - Departments
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Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Cardiopulmonary Anesthesia
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Ahn, Jung-min - Departments
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Cardiology, Aortic Disease Center, Cardiovascular Disease Prevention & Rehabilitation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
- Specialty
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Coronary artery disease, Angina, Cardiac Infartion, Valvular heart disease
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Yoo Jae Suk - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Lee, Sahmin - Departments
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Cardiology, Aortic Disease Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Cardiac Imaging Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center
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Valvular heart disease, Cariomyopathy, Heart failure, Echocardiography, Translational medicine
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Lee, Seung-whan - Departments
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Cardiology, Asan Diabetes Center, Intensive Care Unit, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Aortic Disease Center, Peripheral Artery Disease Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
- Specialty
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Coronary artery disease, Carotid artery disease, Peripheral vessel disease
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Jung, Sung-ho - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Organ Transplantation Center, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center, Sarcoma & Rare Cancer Center
- Specialty
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Cardiovascular disease, Heart Transplantation, Valvular heart disease, Coronary artery disease
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Chung, Cheol-hyun - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
- Specialty
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Coronary artery disease, Aortic disease, Valvular heart disease, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery disease(In patient care)
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Kim, Tae-oh - Departments
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Cardiology, Aortic Disease Center, Peripheral Artery Disease Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Choi, In-cheol - Departments
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Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
- Specialty
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Cardiopulmonary Anesthesia
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Hahm, Kyung-don - Departments
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Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
- Specialty
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Cardiopulmonary Anesthesia
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Kim, Joon-bum - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Intensive Care Unit, Marfan Clinic, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
- Specialty
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Coronary artery disease, Valvular heart disease, Aortic disease, Cardiac arrhythmias
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KU MIN JUNG - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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KIM KITAE - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
- Specialty
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Shim In Kyoung - Departments
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Cardiology, Aortic Disease Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Cardiac Imaging Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center
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Park Chan Soon - Departments
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Cardiology, Aortic Disease Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center
- Specialty