Mitral Valve Calcification - Pictures, Symptoms, Treatment
Blog Topic: Mitral Valve Calcifcation
As many of you know, I had a congenital birth defect known as a bicuspid aortic valve. After thirty-three years of opening and closing, my two-cusp aortic valve became incredibly diseased with aortic stenosis and regurgitation. Ultimately, I had aortic valve replacement and pulmonary valve replacement. Following surgery, Dr. Vaughn Starnes (my surgeon) informed me that my aortic valve was very calcified as well.
That said, I just received an interesting question about mitral valve disease. Unlike most questions that focus on mitral valve prolapse and mitral valve regurgitation, this question focused on mitral valve calcification.
The question read, “Can you tell me about mitral valve calcification? Do you have any pictures of a calcified mitral valve? What are the symptoms? What is the treatment of mitral valve calcification?”
As you can see above, calcification can impact mitral valves just as it can impact other heart valves. This picture illustrates the build-up of calcium along the ring of the mitral valve. Ultimately, that impacts the integrity of the mitral valve to open and close properly.
Regarding the symptoms of mitral valve calcification, please click here to learn more. My research indicates that most symptoms of mitral valve calcification are similar to the symptoms of other forms of valve disease.
As for treatment of mitral valve calcification, that will be determined by your cardiologist and/or your surgeon. Primarily, there are two forms of surgical, mitral valve treatment - mitral valve replacement and mitral valve repair.
I hope that helps share some insight on mitral valve calcifcation.
Keep on tickin!
Adam Pick is the author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. This special book was designed to help patients and caregivers better understand the opportunities and potential pitfalls of heart valve replacement and heart valve repair surgery. Ultimately, this book was written to minimize patient stress and to enhance the patient’s recovery. To learn more about Adam’s heart valve surgery book, click here.
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July 18th, 2008 at 6:56 am
I just learned I have mitral valve calcification from a recent echo test. Since I was 14 I’ve had a mitral valve problem but never was of much concern. I am currently 45.
Now the doctor wants to do another echo in 6 months to see the change in the calcification, also I do not seem to have any symptom either. This has made me alot more concerned , should I be ?
Is there anything I can change diet , exercise, vitamins and what is this caused from?
Thank you Jackie
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:29 pm
A friend was diagnosed with a calcified heart valve…..a german colleague suggested he try serrapeptase a compound that is available on the national health in germany…its function is that it clears all and any debri found in the body…he is currently trying this
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:46 am
I have a Calcification mitral valve, I read the above that mentioned taking serrapeptase, I am going to try it is there any thing else I could try. and is there anyway I can change my diet. Does some food cause calcifications more then others. I have calcifications on the spleen and several Lymph nodes. Thank you