Mitral Valve Disease:
What is the problem?
The Mitral Valve, also known as the bicuspid or left atrioventricular valve, has two leaflets and
sits between the left atrium and the left ventricle. The mitral valve allows blood to flow from
the left atrium to the left ventricle.
Mitral valve insufficiency or regurgitation ("leaky valve") is when the two mitral valve
leaflets do not close together all
the way.
Mitral Valve regurgitation can be
caused by
an abnormality of the valve,
coronary
artery disease or by enlargement
of the
heart (cardiomyopathy).
Mitral valve regurgitation
damages
the heart due to an increase in
fluid
causing the heart to work harder.
In time,
the heart fails and the patient has
signs of
heart failure. They have a weak
heart that
can't pump the extra fluid
forward,
causing back flow of blood into
their lungs
making it hard to breath. This
type of
valve disease requires surgical
intervention.
Mitral valve stenosis ("tight valve") is caused by Rheumatic heart disease, radiation,
congenital (birth defect) causes, vegetation's (cluster of infection) or calcium builds up around
the valve.
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