

The most commonly repaired valve is the mitral valve. Over 100,000 people had valve repair or replacement surgery in 2018. Valve surgery is the second-most common heart surgery in the U.S. How common are mitral valve repair procedures? But your provider may try other methods first, like balloon mitral valvotomy.

You may need surgery later on to manage valve disease that’s getting worse or damaging your heart. They’ll use echocardiogram tests to check your heart at regular intervals. But your provider will keep a close eye on the situation. Your provider may prescribe medications to manage your symptoms. If you have a mild form of the disease, you may not need surgery. People who have mitral valve disease, particularly if the valve leaks, may need mitral valve repair surgery. Repair through open-heart surgery can help you avoid or delay such problems. Over time, this can lead to heart and lung damage. Mitral valve disease makes it harder for your valve to do its job. Then, your left ventricle pumps it out to the rest of your body through your aorta. The blood travels through your mitral valve to enter your left ventricle. Your left atrium receives this blood from your lungs. These are the two chambers of your heart that hold oxygen-rich blood. Your mitral valve is the door that connects your left atrium and left ventricle. Mitral valve repair fixes problems with your valve so you can lower your risk of serious complications down the road.

About 6 in 10 mitral valve surgeries are due to leaky valves that are caused by leaflet prolapse. People with this condition have mitral valve flaps that are too floppy or stretchy. This is a narrowing of your valve opening that prevents enough blood from flowing through. This is most often caused by mitral valve prolapse. This is commonly known as a “leaky valve.” Your valve flaps don’t close all the way, leading to some blood leaking in the wrong direction. Mitral valve repair treats the following conditions:

What conditions are treated with mitral valve repair? Your provider will consider many factors like your age and overall health condition to decide the method of valve repair that’s best for you. Talk with your provider to see if you’re a candidate for one of these procedures. These include minimally invasive mitral valve repair and percutaneous interventions. Some people are candidates for procedures other than standard open-heart surgery. Mitral valve repair surgery has risks, like all heart surgeries, but advances in technology continue to make this surgery safer and more effective. If you need to have mitral valve repair, it’s important to learn why you need this surgery and what you can expect. But for some people, replacement may be the best or only option. Providers often recommend repair over replacement - particularly when the valve leaks - because there are more benefits and fewer risks in keeping your own valve. If you have severe mitral valve disease, your provider may recommend open-heart surgery to either repair or replace your damaged valve. It involves open-heart surgery to fix problems with your mitral valve. Mitral valve repair is a treatment option for people who have mitral valve disease.
