Overview

What is mitral valve regurgitation?

Also known as mitral valve regurgitation, this is the most common heart valve disease. In this condition, the valve between the left heart chambers does not fully close. This allows blood to leak across it backward. If the leak is significant, the body and heart end up getting insufficient blood. Mitral valve regurgitation can make you feel very tired or short of breath. Here are some more names for mitral valve regurgitation:

Mitral incompetence
Mitral regurgitation (MR)
Mitral insufficiency

Firstly, they can determine whether your condition is more severe and will require medication or surgery, or whether it is minimal and you may not even need treatment.

Depending upon the reasons, mitral valve regurgitation can be of two types:

Degenerative or primary Mitral valve regurgitation: It is a regurgitation of this valve due to destruction of its structure, which has been ruptured by whatever factor out there. For instance, infection and inflammation can damage your mitral valve.
Secondary or functional Mitral valve regurgitation: This arises when nothing obstructs the normal functioning of a healthy and in good condition mitral valve of the heart. A primary example of secondary mitral valve regurgitation results from cardiac failure and arrhythmias.

Both of the above mitral valve regurgitations will either be acute or chronic.

What are the symptoms of mitral valve regurgitation?

Mild mitral valve regurgitation cases may never come with symptoms at all. However, the most common experience experienced by patients is dyspnea or shortness of breath, wherein the leaking valve further aggravates and disrupts the proper function of the heart. You may experience not having enough air inside your lungs or that you have to work a lot more to breathe when you're sleeping, resting, lying, or exercising.

Among the numerous symptoms of mitral valve regurgitation is chest discomfort, wherein the following may take place;

Coughing
Swelling of the feet or legs due to edema
A tremendous sense of tiredness.
Presyncope is the feeling of fainting without actually passing out.
Feeling as though your heart is pounding or thumping up and down in your chest.

It is an acute heart failure, a sudden, rapid decline in heart function. It becomes a medical emergency that can turn life-threatening if immediate care is not given.

What causes mitral valve regurgitation?

Some health conditions can cause mitral valve regurgitation. They include:

Mitral valve prolapse- Often harmless and not requiring treatment, in this condition, the leaflets bulge, or prolapse, into your left atrium instead of closing properly.
Rheumatic fever, which develops if strep throat is left untreated, is the cause of rheumatic heart disease. It increases the risk of mitral valve damage as it causes inflammation.
Cardiac attack: This damages the cardiac muscle that controls your mitral valve, leading to sudden and severe regurgitation of the mitral valve.
Congenital heart defects- These are problems you're born with, such as cleft mitral valve, a rare condition in which one of your mitral valve leaflets has a crack in it.
Cardiomyopathy- These are diseases of the heart muscle. The most common is ischemic cardiomyopathy, in which your heart muscle is damaged due to a lack of oxygen. A few others are hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and dilated cardiomyopathy.
Torn tissue cords- The tissue that supports the leaflets of your mitral valve may stretch and tear because of a traumatic injury to your chest, like that caused by mitral valve prolapse.
Infective endocarditis- This is an inflammation of the lining of the valve and chambers in your heart. This particular form of bacterial infection can cause damage to your mitral valve.

What complications happen with mitral valve regurgitation?

Some very dangerous and even deadly diseases can be caused by mitral valve regurgitation. These include:

Ischemic cardiomyopathy: The heart muscle's pumping power can be compromised through disease of the coronary arteries.
Atrial fibrillation: The valve may be irritated by abnormal cardiac rhythms.
Hypertension: Long periods of hypertension can compromise the function of valves and cause the heart to enlarge.

What are the tests and diagnosis for mitral valve regurgitation?

Primary evaluation of mitral valve prolapse can be done by a medical doctor through a physical examination made possible with the use of a stethoscope, listening to your heartbeat.

You ought to be aware that your physician may hear a clicking sound via a stethoscope when you have mitral valve prolapse. They also might get to hear pulsation or a heartbeat in case blood leaks backwards through the mitral valve. These tests are mentioned below:

Electrocardiogram is termed as ECG or EKG.
Chest X-ray outcome
Cardiac catheterization: This is a technique by which a slender, thin tube is introduced through a blood artery by a percutaneous route for the evaluation of blood pressure and heart rate. It's usually reserved for further muddled conditions.
Echocardiography through the abdomen (TEE): In the cardiac imaging processes, the sound waves are applied to create highly detailed images of the heart. The specialist from the mouth to the chest guides a tiny cylindrical tool with a transducer inside that creates heart sounds. This is then transformed into detailed pictures.
Stress tests and exercise- This test enables us to determine how our heart reacts to physical activity and can be used to evaluate the seriousness of symptoms.

What is the treatment for mitral valve regurgitation?

Normal cases of heart disease usually do not require treatment, but follow-up visits are still necessary. For mild conditions, an echocardiogram should be taken every three to five years; in moderate cases, yearly or two-year intervals; and in severe cases should have it every six to twelve months.

Medication-

While medicines cannot repair a valve defect, they may correct other conditions that contribute to the likelihood of regurgitation or complications that develop as a consequence of mitral valve regurgitation. Some of these are as follows:

Diuretics, or "water pills," increase urine production, so you pass more urine than usual. This removes any fluid that may have accumulated in your lungs.

ACE inhibitors work through the relaxation of arteries and veins. They consequently decrease the volume of blood returning to your left atrium. Anticoagulants, also termed blood thinners, prevent clots from forming in those with atrial fibrillation, thereby preventing an increase in the risk of stroke.

In more complicated cases, surgery may be necessary. Surgery for mitral regurgitation can either be a valve replacement or valve repair. Your surgeon will attempt to repair your mitral valve by:

Filling in the holes in your valve.
Reattaching leaflets in your valve.
Removing any scar tissue to allow the valve to close fully.
An artificial cord to hold your mitral valve in place of the string-like cord that currently holds it.
If your leaflets of the valve have stuck together, this will separate them.

Special repair techniques include-

During annuloplasty, your surgeon will permanently surround your mitral valve with a supple mesh, metal, or plastic ring to strengthen and stiffen it, making it easier to open and close correctly.

If your valve's opening is narrowed, you'll have a procedure called valvuloplasty. Your doctor will insert a catheter into an artery to your mitral valve and then inflate a balloon at that location to open up your valve.

A catheter is inserted into your heart so that the surgeon can attach a clasp to your mitral valve in a procedure called transcatheter edge-to-edge repair, or mitral valve clipping. Your valve now closes more smoothly because of the clip.

What to expect at and just before the surgery?

Prepare and freeze your first week's meals before surgery. Make prior arrangements for transportation to and from the hospital. On the day you return home, follow the doctor's recommendations because you will not feel or think like you used to. Provide home health care right away during the rehabilitation process. Use a worksheet or log to help you remember your drugs and when you took your doses so that you can keep an eye on your schedule.

Living With

How do I take care of myself if I have mitral valve regurgitation?

To manage regurgitation, take care to see your doctor for appointments as frequently as possible, eat well with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins, but keep away from salt, sugars, saturated and Trans fats, and also alcohol.

Why Tender Palm Super-Speciality Hospital for Mitral Valve Regurgitation?

Tender Palm Hospital has the most experienced team of Cardiologists, Cardiac Surgeons, and diagnostics with the latest and International standard infection control measures in Lucknow, India. The Cardiac Science Centre team has decades of experience in successfully treating Mitral Valve Regurgitation.