Our Structural Heart and Valve Program is a signature service of Torrance Memorial Medical Center’s acclaimed Lundquist Lurie Cardiovascular Institute. With this leading edge structural heart disease program, we are able to bring hope to patients whose structural heart and valve conditions were once considered inoperable.

A key component of our Structural Heart and Valve Program is a minimally invasive procedure called Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). With TAVR, patients who have aortic stenosis but are not strong enough to undergo open heart surgery can receive a new heart valve. TAVR and other minimally invasive procedures available from our expert interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, use catheter-based technology, similar to stenting, for treatment of structural heart and valve disease.

Torrance Memorial participates in ground breaking research and is part of the Transcatheter Valve Therapy (TVT) registry, which is focused on monitoring safety and effectiveness of transcatheter valve therapy devices. Our interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons have performed the highest volumes in our area and are known for achieving excellent outcomes with complex procedures. We continue to contribute to clinical trials, testing the latest generation of minimally invasive treatments and technologies, which are performed in our state-of-the-art hybrid operation room.

What is Structural Heart and Valve Disease?

Not all heart disease is related to lifestyle or genetics. Some forms, called structural heart and valve disease, relate to abnormalities in the heart muscle and/or the valves that carry blood into or out of the heart. These problems are sometimes present at birth (called “congenital”) or they may develop as a result of the aging process.

Here at Torrance Memorial’s Structural Heart and Valve Program, our interventional cardiology and cardiac surgery team performs many highly specialized, minimally invasive structural heart and valve procedures. Though not all procedures can be done this way, minimally invasive procedures offer many important benefits to patients, including lower risk of complications, less pain, less bleeding and faster recovery. This can be especially true for elderly patients who may be too frail to undergo traditional open heart surgery.

Collaborative, Interdisciplinary Care

The physicians at the Torrance Memorial Structural Heart and Valve Program work collaboratively with referring physicians, keeping them up to date and involved with their patients at every step of the journey. Our multidisciplinary team of doctors including interventional cardiologist and cardiac surgeons, nurses and technicians offer integrated, comprehensive treatment. We are proud of our affiliation with USC Keck Medical Center's Cardiothoracic Surgery Department.

For More Information

  • For more information on the Torrance Memorial Structural Heart and Valve Program, call 310-517-4790
  • Need a physician referral? Call our physician referral line 310-517-4700 or view our online physician directory.
  • Want to learn more about the TAVR procedure available at Torrance Memorial? Click here.
  • For professionals, click here to learn more about TAVR procedure. For additional information call 310-517-4790.