A new virtual clinic at Butler Memorial Hospital helps patients suffering from valvular heart diseases get the care they need.

Butler Health System’s new valve clinic was created this year for evaluating patients with valvular heart disease, such as aortic stenosis or mitral regurgitation.

The clinic is led by a variety of expert cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons.

Patients with valvular heart disease are reviewed by a panel to determine optimal, customized treatment plans.

“The purpose is to track test results for follow up or to refer them to proper physicians for treatment,” said Dr. Hazem El-Khatib, who specializes in cardiac surgery at the hospital.

El-Khatib said the clinic stems from national guidelines implemented in recent years.

“We always want to stay current with the guidelines published,” he said.

El-Khatib said patients with advanced valve disease can be enrolled in the clinic. Valve disease is tested using an echocardiogram, a sonogram of the heart.

El-Khatib said patients typically get an echocardiogram when they show certain symptoms.

“Patients may have a shortness of breath or fatigue,” he said as common issues. “They could have a history of heart disease in their family as well.”

El-Khatib said the echo test checks the heart’s functioning.

“If we find an abnormality, it is then classified as in the moderate or severe range,” he said. “That will issue an alert to the valve clinic coordinator.”

The hospital uses advanced 3-D echocardiography to get precise diagnostic information.

Abnormalities in the moderate range are added to the clinic’s database.

“Whenever its time for a follow-up, a reminder is issued to check on it,” he said. “It makes sure patients don’t fall through the cracks for a follow-up.”

If an abnormality is in the severe range, patients are referred for treatment.

El-Khatib said heart ailments can affect people of any age and can have different causes. Some problems arise from the tightening of the heart’s aortic valve, while others stem from abnormalities in the heart’s valves since birth.

Treatments depend on the nature of the condition, but could include open heart surgery or opening a valve with a balloon.

“We notify their primary physicians, cardiologists or cardio-surgeons to discuss options for treatment,” El-Khatib said.

The clinic doesn’t take up a physical space in the hospital, but rather is a virtual database for patients with valve disorders.

It also supports research and advances in the treatment of valvular heart disease.

Part of the clinic’s goal is to keep track of quality outcomes and whether they comply with national guidelines, El-Khatib said.

“There is an educational component for the entire hospital,” he said.

Jana Panther, a spokesman for the hospital, said the clinic allows the hospital’s staff to work closely together with primary physicians.

“What patients get is a team of highly skilled doctors,” she said.

Panther and El-Khatib said the joint work among doctors greatly benefits patients.

“The patients get the benefit of having all these wise people in the field,” Panther said.

El-Khatib said patients’ primary care physicians are an important part of the clinic.

“Before any patient is enrolled in the clinic, we send a letter to their primary care physician asking for permission and input,” he said.

El-Khatib said the primary care physician continues to be part of the process in determining treatment for a patient.

El-Khatib said the clinic’s staff is in the process of meeting with primary care physicians in Butler County to discuss the program.