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  • Specialist valve clinics: recommendations from the British Heart Valve Society working group on improving quality in the delivery of care for patients with heart valve disease

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Editorial
Specialist valve clinics: recommendations from the British Heart Valve Society working group on improving quality in the delivery of care for patients with heart valve disease
  1. John B Chambers1,
  2. Simon Ray2,
  3. Bernard Prendergast3,
  4. David Taggart4,
  5. Stephen Westaby5,
  6. Lucy Grothier6,
  7. Chris Arden7,
  8. Jo Wilson8,
  9. Brian Campbell9,
  10. Jonathan Sandoe10,
  11. Christa Gohlke-Bärwolf11,
  12. Carlos-A Mestres12,
  13. Raphael Rosenhek13,
  14. Catherine Otto14
  1. 1Cardiothoracic Centre, St Thomas Hospital, London, UK
  2. 2British Cardiovascular Society, London, UK
  3. 3Department of Cardiology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
  4. 4Cardiothoracic Surgery, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
  5. 5John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
  6. 6Director South London Stroke and Cardiovascular Network, London, UK
  7. 7Park Surgery, Chandlers Ford, UK
  8. 8British Association of Nursing for Cardiac Care, Oxford, UK
  9. 9Society for Cardiological Science and Technology, London, UK
  10. 10Department of Microbiology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK
  11. 11Ballrechten-Dottingen, Herz- Zentrum, Germany
  12. 12Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hospital Clinico, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, UK
  13. 13Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
  14. 14Division of Cardiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
  1. Correspondence to Professor John Boyd Chambers, Cardiothoracic Centre, St Thomas’ Hospital, London SE1 7EH, UK; john.chambers{at}gstt.nhs.uk

https://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2013-303754

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    Introduction

    The population prevalence of moderate or severe valve disease in industrialised countries is as high as 13% in those aged 75 years or older.1 Undetected valve disease leads to premature death1 but valve surgery, when indicated, can prolong life.2 Access to medical care in industrialised countries is usually good, but limitations exist3 and better ways of organising care are needed.4

    A working group was therefore convened by the British Heart Valve Society with representatives of all interested national bodies and a panel of invited international commentators. The aim was to produce recommendations to improve the detection, conservative management and interventional treatment of valve disease. This paper focusses on conservative management and proposes recommendations for overcoming limitations in care by means of a specialist valve clinic.

    Limitations in current services

    The initial management of patients with valve disease is usually conservative and meticulous follow-up is then vital. However, accepted management guidelines are not followed adequately.5–7 Furthermore, the application of accepted guidelines requires specialist experience especially in determining whether a patient is genuinely asymptomatic. Most patients with valve disease are still cared for by general cardiologists or general physicians who may be less skilled than a valve disease specialist in making a diagnostic formulation. Furthermore, it is likely that advances in practice are more slowly assimilated by a generalist than by a cardiologist who undertakes specialist continuing education.

    As a result, patients are often referred for surgery too late. In the EuroHeart Survey,6 approximately one half of patients were in New York Heart Association class III or IV at the time of valve surgery. At least one third of elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis are not referred for surgery at all even when clinically indicated.8 Developing a percutaneous valve programme leads to increased rates of conventional surgery suggesting …

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors JBC prepared the manuscript. All other co-authors contributed significant modifications to the drafts and approved the final version.

    • Competing interests None.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.