AANA Journal course: update for nurse anesthetists--anesthetic techniques for patients with valvular heart disease presenting for noncardiac procedures.

Providing anesthesia for patients with valvular heart disease undergoing noncardiac surgery can be extraordinarily challenging. Not only must the principles of normal cardiac physiology be mastered, but also those of the pathophysiology associated with the various valvular lesions. This course will provide a review of the pathophysiology and specific compensatory mechanisms for aortic stenosis, aortic insufficiency, mitral stenosis, and mitral regurgitation. Characteristic findings in the patient interview, physical examination, and diagnostic studies will be discussed. Anesthetic and monitoring considerations pertinent to each valvular lesion will be offered.