Valvular and coronary heart disease

PREVIEW

As our population ages, more and more patients are likely to become candidates for cardiac valvular or revascularization procedures. The primary care physician often must advise these patients as to when surgery is appropriate and what risks are involved. In this article, Dr Blackshear discusses optimal timing for referral and prognostic factors to consider for patients with aortic stenosis and insufficiency, mitral insufficiency, and coronary artery disease.