Patient Options When the Mitral Valve is Regurgitant
Minimally invasive mitral valve repair (MIMVR) can be performed to correct a defective mitral valve (MV) that is either stenotic or regurgitant. In the latter case, one or both of the valve’s leaflets flops backward into the atrium. That allows a potential backflow of blood.
Symptoms may not exist if the condition is mild. In fact, many patients who suffer from mitral regurgitation (MR) require no treatment unless the disorder becomes more pronounced. However, when the disease is severe, patients may experience serious side effects that can affect their quality of life. In such cases, treatment is usually necessary.
This article will take a closer look at MR beginning with common symptoms that may form as the condition worsens. We’ll also describe some of the side effects you might experience if the disease is left unresolved. Lastly, you’ll learn about the tests that are used to diagnose the condition and how mitral valve hair loss propecia treatment repair can correct it.
Symptoms And Side Effects
Most people who have the disorder either do not realize it or are not affected by it. Symptoms only emerge if there is a significant backflow of blood. Among those who suffer from severe MR, symptoms can include chronic fatigue, shortness of breath, and mild dizziness after strenuous physical activity. Some patients also report suffering bouts of anxiety, debilitating Levitra headaches, and mild chest pain.
Many patients fail to inform their doctors when they experience the above symptoms. This often occurs when the patient is already suffering from a heart condition, such as coronary artery disease. Unfortunately, if mitral regurgitation is allowed to persist, it can eventually lead to an irregular heart rhythm, infection of the endocardium, and ultimately, heart failure.
Tests To Diagnose The Condition
Your doctor will use one or more tests to diagnose regurgitation before recommending mitral valve repair. An initial diagnosis can be done after a routine exam during which your doctor listens to your heart with a stethoscope. It’s common for a regurgitant MV to cause a heart murmur.
Because a stethoscope can rarely be used to confirm regurgitation, your doctor may take chest X-rays to study your heart. The images may help confirm or weaken the original suspicion. An echocardiogram can also be done to evaluate the function of your heart and the mitral valve, in particular. This test uses ultrasound waves to create images that are more revealing than chest X-rays.
Your doctor may also perform an electrocardiogram. This test monitors the electrical signals that manage your heartbeat, exposing abnormalities that might further suggest a regurgitant MV.
If your physician suspects regurgitation is severe, he or she may recommend a catheter procedure that will yield a better view of your mitral valve. A c atheter is guided into one of your m
ain blood vessels and a special dye is released. The dye can be monitored as it flows with your bloodstream through your heart’s four chambers. A severely regurgitant MV will show the dye flowing backward from the left ventricle into the left atrium.
How The Disorder Is Treated
Symptoms associated with mild cases of regurgitation can often be treated with medications. For example, your physician may prescribe beta blockers to control high blood pressure and arrhythmias. If you suffer from atrial fibrillation, or there is a high likelihood of blood clots forming within the atrium, anticoagulants may be prescribed.
When regurgitation is more pronounced, your doctor will likely recommend mitral valve repair surgery. The approach taken will depend on which of the two leaflets are regurgitant as well as the severity of the disorder. If the “back” leaflet is defective, a procedure called triangular resection can be done. Annuloplasty may also be performed Kamagra Soft to strengthen the ring surrounding the mitral valve.
If the “front” leaflet is defective, the problem is more complicated. Correcting it may require the surgeon to perform a chordal transfer as well as to create new supporting chords. This takes more time and expertise than a triangular resection.
Minimally invasive mitral valve repair is more common than ever as surgeons continue to learn new techniques for resolving regurgitation. Speak with your physician to determine if you are a good candidate for the surgery.
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Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: mitral valve disease, mitral valve surgery, mitral valve repair, atrial fibrillation, maze procedure