Mitral Valve Surgery

RELATED ITEMS

Our Services

VenaCure Option

daVinci Robotic-
Assisted Surgery

Hospital
Affiliations

South Florida
Cardiovascular
Surgical
Associates, P.A.

350 NW 84th Avenue
Suite 300, Plantation
FL 33324

Ph: 954-475-9535
Fx: 954-475-4637

 

The mitral valve is a one-way valve that prevents backflow of blood from the left ventricle (main pumping chamber of the heart) to the left atrium (collecting chamber receiving blood from the lungs). The valve may malfunction in two possible ways: it may become leaky (mitral insufficiency or regurgitation) or it may become obstructed or blocked (mitral stenosis). Ineither case, blood backs up into the blood vessels of the lungs causing severe shortness of breath and heart failure. The causes range from rheumatic heart disease to heart attack (damaging the structure or function of the mitral valve) to infection. Also, any condition that causes the heart to dilate to a large size can cause mitral insufficiency.

If the mitral valve abnormality becomes severe enough, symptoms will develop and become worse over time, sometimes leading to irreversable damage to the heart and lungs. Mitral valve diseases should be treated with medications in combination with surgical replacement or repair in select circumstances. The mitral valve can be replaced with two types of valves: mechanical or tissue. The tissue valve seen at right can come from either a pig valve or made from the pericardium (sac surrounding the heart) of cattle. The advantage of the tissue valve is that long-term anticoagulation (blood thinning) may not be necessary. Its major disadvantage is that tissue valves tend to develop structural deterioration and malfunction more quickly than mechanical valves. This may lead after a few years to the need for repeat mitral valve replacement, a procedure that can carry more risks than the initial valve surgery.

A mechanical valve (seen at left) can be used to replace the malfunctioning mitral valve. The advantage of this valve is that the long-term durability of the valve is greater than the tissue valve. The likelihood of structural deterioration is small. However, life-long anticoagulation is required when this type of valve is used. This may lead to both minor and major bleeding complications over time. Additionally, there is a risk of blood clot formation on the valve should the blood not be thinned enough. The surgeon and cardiologist should discuss with the patient the options for valve replacement prior to surgery. In most cases the abnormal mitral valve can be repaired rather than replaced.

At right one can see the finished result after one of the most common types of mitral valve repair. In this case a portion of one of the valve leaflets was abnormal and therefore cut away. The remainder of the valve was reattached or reconstructed, and a supporting ring was sutured around the mitral valve annulus or hinge-points of the valve leaflets. This is known as a ring annuloplasty. To view an echocardiogram of the mitral valve before and after this type of repair, click here.


Home | Doctors | Services | Policies & Information | Q&A | Education | Map | Videos | News | Links | Contact | Hospital Affiliations
Copyright © 2002-2007, South Florida Cardiovascular Surgical Associates, P.A.
Site Design by Swarm Interactive