Your heart has four valves that make sure blood flows in the right direction. When one doesn’t work properly, it can lead to complications like blood clots, stroke and heart failure. With more people living longer, the disease is expected to become a growing problem, affecting more than one in eight people who are 75 or older.

Join Dr. Matthew Slater, a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon, as he explores heart valve disease—what causes it, how you can prevent it and the surgery that’s making it possible for you to get a new heart valve and go home the next day.

A member of St. Charles Heart and Lung Center’s team since 2016, Dr. Slater formerly led Oregon Health & Science University’s adult cardiac surgery program and complex heart valve service for 17 years.